Unexpected Family
by callieandjack
Summary: From my earliest memories, I had always been an orphan. I was alone in the world. But after a run-in with Tony Stark, everything I knew was turned upside-down. That's when I discovered the greatest gift of all: family. No language, but T in cases of violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! It's been awhile since I've posted anything on Fanfiction. I hope you enjoy this new story I've come up with. This story is set before Iron Man 3. I won't spoil anything about the movie, but those of you who have already watched it will know what I'm talking about. I do NOT own any part of the Avengers or Iron Man. Enjoy! Reviews are much appreciated!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

The sky was blue and bright over MIT. Fresh, spring grass had just sprung up from the ground that had been long buried by the winter snow. Cambridge, as much as I loved it, could be quite a pain when it came to winter. And on the days it didn't snow, the biting wind while walking around campus was not at all fun.

It was my senior year at college, but I didn't look at all like the other seniors. I was only eighteen. Needless to say, I was a genius. I was a major in robotics engineering and was doubling my major in physics. Not that it's a big deal or anything. I had been in love with science from the day I picked up a toy robot. I could remember it now. I was three years old and I had taken one of the boy's toys at the orphanage (I had been an orphan since I was a baby). The head of the orphanage didn't know where I had come from. I had been put on the doorstep and was found the following morning with a note saying both my parents had died and that there was no other family. Anyway, I had torn that robot apart and was able to put it back together in nothing flat. I had been hooked ever since. I even tore up the caretaker's cell phone. She had to do without one for a whole week and I got grounded.

I laughed at the old memory as I sipped on my iced coffee while heading to class. It was the only class of the day and it proved to be boring, just like all the others. Even the most advanced classes seemed basic. But there was a surprise at the end of the class.

"Class, I have a surprise for you all," said Professor Peters, "One of our alumni has come to pay us a visit."

I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw who it was. Tony Stark. Also known as Iron Man, one of the Avengers, and who used to be the world's best weapon manufacturer. This had officially turned into the best class ever. He was wearing a suit and tie and sunglasses.

"Good morning kids." Stark said, taking off his sunglasses and setting them on the professor's desk. We were all silent, too fascinated to speak.

"I can see you're all surprised that I'm here." Stark said, looking at all of us. He started talking about why he was there, being alumni and all. Then he started talking about his life and how he had built and completed all sorts of projects at early ages in life, finally completing his studies at MIT.

"Then my little sister was born." Stark said. There was pain in his expression, but he quickly brushed it aside. Of course. His mother and father, Maria and Howard Stark, had had a child right before the accident that had killed both Howard and Maria. The baby, Abbey, was never found. Some had assumed the baby had been ejected from the car and had been carried away by wildlife. After several years, the search was given up.

"But after that tragic accident, I took over Stark Industries and look where I am today." Stark continued. He went on to a short speech about our futures and how to do our hardest in order to succeed.

When he was finished, Professor Peters went up. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. Class that concludes today's lecture. I expect to see you all on Wednesday at ten." With that, the class started to leave.

"Rebecca." Mr. Peters called my name before I could leave. I turned. Mr. Peters was gesturing for me to come over to him and Mr. Stark. Very confused and very nervous because the world's most famous superhero was standing there in the same room as me.

"Yes?" I asked timidly.

"Mr. Stark, this is Rebecca Shields. She is our youngest MIT student that we have had since you," Mr. Peters said quite proudly. Mr. Stark looked me up and down, and for a moment, his eyes met mine and they locked. There was something about them that was familiar...

"Ms. Shields." Stark said, putting his hand out for a handshake. I shook it.

"Mr. Stark." I replied.

"Professor Peters tells me you are in robotic engineering." He seemed a little impressed for a genius in the field himself.

"And physics." I added.

"Impressive. And you're how old?"

"Eighteen." I replied.

"Not but a year older than I was when I graduated." Stark said, bragging a bit on himself.

"She's the best student we have." Professor Peters cut in again. Stark ignored him.

"Well kid, keep up the good work." Stark said to me before quickly picking up his sunglasses and quickly exiting the room.

"That was...odd." Professor Peters said. "He said he'd stay a while afterwards."

I thought it was quite odd as well, but being Tony Stark, he probably had other business to attend to.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

I had to leave that room. I knew I couldn't stay any longer or I might actually break down. It wasn't a normal thing for me, but this was too much.

It was her. It was really her. My sister, Abbey. I quickly whipped out my phone and dialed Pepper's number. She answered it immediately.

"It's her." I said. The words couldn't come out quick enough.

"Are you sure?" She asked. We had been looking for a while with a few misleading tips, which had been painful for the both of us. She didn't want me to get my hopes up on this one, but this time I was absolutely certain.

"She has Mom's eyes." I said, remembering Mom's dark brown eyes. I could picture her vividly with those warm eyes and dark, wavy hair. This girl was the spitting image of her. "She even sounds like Mom. I know it's her."

"How do you want to go about it?" Pepper asked.

"I was thinking about telling her outright." I replied. There was silence for a moment, then Pepper spoke.

"That's a little bit much, don't you think?" She asked. "It's a lot to take on, living your whole life as another person, never knowing that you had billionaire parents, and a brother who happens to be one of the world's greatest superheroes." I smiled at that last bit.

"I admit, it's a lot to take in, but..."

"And the press would have a field day, knowing that your long-lost sister has somehow mysteriously returned. She probably has no experience with the press whatsoever" I laughed.

"The press is going to go ballistic no matter what happens. And she's a Stark. She'll have to get used to the limelight."

"I'm just saying, you need to come up with something a little less...bold. This is your sister we're talking about."

"I just want her back." I said. I felt so conflicted. The brother part of me wanted to take her into my arms and never let her go, but the realistic me said this would take time, maybe even years to have the bond I wanted so badly.

"I know." Pepper said softly.

"I don't know what to do." I admitted. It was kind of embarrassing, really. I was usually the one with the brilliant ideas, mostly in the science department, but when it came to relationships, I was clueless. At least I had Pepper to get me through this.

"I still think I need to tell her." I said. "That's the only way I can get her to understand."

"Then do it gently." Pepper warned. "She's probably been through a lot."

Indeed, she had. From her early infant years to fifteen she had been stuck in an orphanage. I was extremely thankful she had had the family brains and gotten into MIT, but the guilt of all she had gone through was too much to bear. All those years she should have been home with her family, with me. And all these years I thought I had been all alone. Now everything was completely different. And I would do anything to get her back. Anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**I didn't mention before that this story will basically be made of two points of view. The main character, Rebecca, and then Tony's. It will mostly be Rebecca's. I only label Tony's P.O.V., so if it's not labeled under Tony, it's Rebecca's P.O.V. Thanks for reading!**

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**Chapter Two**

After the whole Tony-Stark-in-the-classroom incident, the rest of the day was pretty dull. Homework was a breeze, as usual. I didn't have any friends. I had never really bonded with anyone in my life. The caretaker at the orphanage was mean and spiteful and the other kids there were about the same, especially after I got to leave at fifteen to go to MIT. All the students at college were either too busy on their own scientific projects or thought I was too young to hang out with them. I could say I was a little disappointed that there was not one solitary person on this earth that could relate to me in the past eighteen years. My parents obviously weren't around to love me, I had no other family, and friends were impossible to find. But I had gotten used to being alone. Sure, it had its down moments, but for the most part I could occupy my time.

That afternoon I took out my iPod and decided to take a run. It was one of the only things to get my mind off of everything else. What I thought would be a run around the block quickly turned into miles down the road. The music blared in my ears as I ran faster down the sidewalks, which were surprisingly clear for a spring day. And that got me to wondering that if the sidewalks were clear, maybe the park would be quiet as well. It was my favorite place in the whole city. It turned out I was right. There were a few people walking around, but other than that the park was quite peaceful. I flopped down in the grass, looking up the clear sky. I breathed in the new smell of spring, completely oblivious to anything else.

But in the silence, my thoughts haunted me. I could remember the orphanage vividly. The age-old brick walls, the cobwebs in the corners. The nights when the wind would seep through the cracks and give me shivers. But there was more than the physical conditions. What was worse was the hopelessness there. Other kids at the orphanage had gotten adopted and went to loving families. There had been nothing extraordinarily special about them. I was a genius. Why did no one want me? Why couldn't I have a family? Was I not enough? Was I not lovable? I had had these thoughts many times, but they still hit me at the heart. It was the notion that they were true that made me sick to my stomach.

"Mind if I sit down?" I yelped in surprise and sprung up into a sitting position. Who had asked the question made me freeze. Tony Stark.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I stuttered.

"Enjoying the park." Stark said. I looked at his fancy suit, wondering why he would want to ruin it on the grass. But he was a billionaire. He could afford another suit.

"Go ahead." I said, trying to remain as calm as possible as he took a seat next to me. This probably was one of the...no..._the _oddest day of my life. Tony Stark in my class, now Tony Stark at the park, sitting right next to me in the grass. W-E-I-R-D. I was beginning to wonder if this whole day was a dream.

"So what are you doing here?" Stark asked, "Shouldn't you be working on homework or something?"

"Homework's done and I'm almost finished on my science project." I said.

"What are you making?" He asked curiously.

For a few weeks, I had been working on a small robot that would be able to fly. It was very small, mind you, but by the time I was done, it would be able to fly at my command. My teacher thought the idea was impossible for someone at my age, but I was determined to prove him wrong.

"A flying robot." I said. He raised his eyebrows a bit. Impressed? He shouldn't be. It was pretty shabby compared to his Iron Man suit.

"Impressive." He said. His expressions were hidden behind his sunglasses.

There was an eerie silence that followed.

"So...Abbey..." He started.

"Rebecca." I said, lifting an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, yeah, probably better call you by your name for this one." He seemed a bit flustered.

"You see, what I wanted to say is that...you're not an orphan..." What? How did he know that?

"You see, your parents were Howard and Maria Stark, my...I guess our...parents. I'm your brother." Things just went from weird to crazy.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, getting up and stepping back from him. This was obviously not what he had expected.

"No, no, I..."

"I think I've got to go." I said rather calmly. I didn't want to show I was a completely freaked out.

"Look, you're not an orphan anymore. You have a family." He was trying to jumble all of his thoughts into the correct placement of words, but it only made him sound stranger.

"Really, I need to leave." I said, taking a few more steps back.

"Wait, please..." He pleaded

"Goodbye Mr. Stark." I said before turning and walking away. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. The last thing I remembered was a small sting in my neck before all went dark.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

This hadn't gone exactly as I planned. I was sitting in the back of my limo with Abbey laying down fast asleep, her head on my lap. Happy was driving us to my private jet where we would be flying back to my home in Malibu. Happy had thought I was mad seeing me load her in the car, but, knowing me, he didn't ask any questions.I had planned on telling her gently, but the desperation of wanting her back made me sound a little...insane to say the least. Maybe packing a few tranquilizers wasn't the worse idea. I'd have to thank Clint for those when I went back to New York.

I sat back for a few moments, a little relieved, but knew I had to brace myself for the coming storm. Not only was Pepper going to kill me, but Abbey was going to wake up sooner or later...and the questions would be numerous. But I shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind for the moment as I stroked her hair contentedly. I had my sister back in my arms again, and that's all that mattered.

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**What do you think's going to happen next?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello fellow Fanfictioners! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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**Chapter Three **

I opened my eyes groggily. I found myself in a soft bed and in an unfamiliar room. My clothes and even my tennis shoes from before were still on. Odd. I tried to move past the fog in my brain. What was I doing here? How did I get here?

"Good morning, Ms. Stark." A voice said out of nowhere. I nearly jumped out of my skin and looked around wildly.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"I'm JARVIS, Mr. Stark's A.I." The voice responded.

It was then that I remembered that the voice had called me Ms. Stark. And it was Tony's A.I. Tony Stark. Now everything seemed very clear. He had kidnapped me. I was instantly filled with anger.

"Where is Tony?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"He's sitting in the living room with Ms. Potts." JARVIS responded.

Not really caring who Ms. Potts was, I quickly got out of the bed and made my way out the door, only to be confronted with a maze of hallways.

"It's straight to your left." JARVIS said. I guess he knew I was already lost.

I stomped my way to the living room only to find Tony Stark and a red-head who I presumed was Ms. Potts sitting beside him on the couch.

"Mr. Stark!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Tony jumped and looked behind him in surprise. The woman was equally as surprised.

"Oh uh...hi sis!" Stark said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not your sister!" I retorted. Ms. Potts looked at him, her face turning into a glare.

"Tony, what did you do?" She asked.

"Well Pepper...I broke it to her gently...sort of." Tony said, scooting a few inches away from her.

"He drugged me and kidnapped me!" I said, pointing my finger at him accusingly.

"Tony!" Pepper yelled.

"She wouldn't have come along on her own." Tony said defensively.

"Take me back NOW." I demanded.

"No." Tony said plainly, crossing his arms like a child.

"Now or I'll call the cops." I threatened.

"With what?" Tony said, smiling. He knew I didn't have my phone, and he would probably stop any calls I would try to make.

"Just take me back. I'm not your sister!" I said, although I knew it was pretty useless. I was trapped here with this madman.

"Tony, maybe you should..." Tony cut Pepper off.

"No, Pepper. She's my sister. I know she is." Tony said.

"And how do you know that?" I demanded.

"JARVIS has been running the blood test since this morning and it just now came back positive." Tony said matter-of-factually.

"Wait, you took my blood too?!" This man was crazy!

"Just for any doubts at all." He responded innocently.

"Then show me." I said. I wanted to make sure he was absolutely crazy before I tried to get out of here.

He pulled out his phone and a document with a blood sample test on it. And there it was. A match DNA sequence similar to Tony's. Great...

"See, you're a Stark." Tony said.

"No, I'm not a Stark. I'm an orphan." I replied, both confused and scared. I turned and ran away, back to the room where I had woken up and slammed the door.

_No, no, no. This cannot be happening. This CANNOT be happening. I'm an orphan. I'm alone. This is just a dream._

I curled up on the bed and closed my eyes and held them tight, praying it really was just a dream and I would wake up any second. There was no one there for me. Everyday for most of my life I had been alone. I had no family. And oddly, there was comfort in those familiar words. They made them impossible for Stark's words to be true.

_What if it is real? What if I really did have parents? What if I really am a Stark?_

_No, no, no. It's impossible._ I argued with these new thoughts. There was nothing true about them. They couldn't be, could they?

I continued to wrestle with these thoughts as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._.

"Well, that went well." I said sarcastically, plopping back on the couch. Pepper sat back beside me, staring at me.

"Did you really think that kidnapping her was the best idea?" She asked.

"I tried to get all the right words to come out, but I didn't know how to say it. It all came out in a jumble." I explained. "She thought I was drunk or crazy or something. So...I may have used a tranquilizer." I said the word 'tranquilizer' subtly.

"A tranquilizer, Tony?!" Pepper smacked me on the shoulder.

"Ow." I said, rubbing my shoulder.

"Well, you kind of deserve it don't you think?" Pepper stated.

"I just wanted her back." I said. "I've spent half my life without her, and she's spent her whole life without a family. She's thinks she's still an orphan for crying out loud." I put my hands to my face and bent over. I was so confused. It was then that I felt Pepper put her hands on my back.

"She'll come around." She said gently.

I was grateful to have Pepper. She had been a big support through this whole mess. Every time I had come back disappointed when it wasn't the right person till now, she had been just what I needed to get through this. And although I may not have had the best method of bring Abbey back, it was better than not bringing her back at all. I think even Pepper believed that.

"Thanks Pepper." I said as I leaned back against the couch. There was a moment of silence. "What do we do now?"

"We wait for her to come out." Pepper replied.

* * *

The clock read about ten o' clock when I woke up. It was dark outside and as I looked out, I noticed what I hadn't seen before. I saw that my room was out looking to the ocean. I couldn't believe that the house was built on a cliff by the sea. It was pretty awesome. The moonlight reflected across the waters and I became mesmerized by its beauty. So serene...so peaceful...

My stomach growled and I became aware that I was practically starving. I hadn't eaten since I don't know when. Hopefully Stark had a fridge around in this place. Remembering the A.I., I spoke up.

"JARVIS?" It felt kind of weird talking out loud to no one.

"Yes, Ms. Stark?" Again, with the Stark thing. I might as well get used to it. I didn't expect to be called Rebecca anymore, especially around here.

"Where is the kitchen?" I asked.

"Right past the living room." JARVIS responded. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"Got any cereal?"

"Mr. Stark always keeps a stash of Lucky Charms in the cupboard." Perfect.

"Thanks." I said before quietly opening the door. The hallway was dark. Good. The last person I wanted to see was Tony. I quickly and quietly made my way down the hall, checking to make sure no one was in the living room, which there wasn't, and made my way into the kitchen. The kitchen was huge. There were quite a few cupboards, and I didn't know which one to go to first. Finally, I reached the last cupboard and there were the Lucky Charms. Ah ha! I took them and started to take off towards my room.

"Would you like some milk with that?" Again, everyone was sneaking up on me. But it wasn't Tony that was there, but Pepper. I relaxed a bit.

"Umm...sure." I said, looking around to see if Tony was around.

"He's asleep." Pepper said, pulling a bowl and spoon out of another cupboard and walking towards the fridge.

"Thanks." I said, pulling up a stool at the nearby counter and pouring in the Lucky Charms. As I started to chew, Pepper sat down a few stools away, politely giving me my personal space.

"So...are you Tony's..." I asked between mouthfuls.

"Wife." Pepper responded. "We just got married." I must have missed that in the papers or something. I had been kind of secluded from the media for the past several weeks with my science project and all.

"Oh." I said. My attempts at making small talk were not very effective.

"I hear you're a wonder at MIT." Pepper said, trying to be nice.

"I guess it runs in the family." I said. She gave a small smile.

"Yes, I suppose it does." She replied. I had to admit, she was not as straightforward as Tony, which made her easier to talk to.

"Is he always like that?" I asked in reference to Tony.

"Like what?"

"So...crazy?" She laughed.

"He's always been a little eccentric." Pepper admitted. "But I think he'd do just about anything to get his family back."

"Doesn't he have any other relatives?" Pepper shook her head.

"There's no one. He's been on his own since your parents died."

"But at least he had his parents part of his life." Again, she shook her head.

"Being a genius in the Stark family wasn't easy. He was shipped to boarding school at seven years old and he rarely got to see his parents until he graduated at MIT at seventeen."

Wow. Someone who had actually been as lonely as me. Maybe we did have something in common.

"But he told me about when you were born. He said you were the apple of your father's eye. And your mother never wanted to put you down."

A mother and father that loved me?

"He's been looking for you since the accident. I don't think he ever gave up." Pepper said. "When he finally found you, I think he'd do just about anything to get you back."

_Yeah, no kidding._

But when I thought about it, what Tony had done had been awful, but maybe in light of everything that had happened, perhaps I could forgive him.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

I watched them sitting at the counter, the two of them. They seemed to be becoming good friends. And then Pepper started talking about Mom and Dad. The memories came flooding back. Being in that private hospital room and holding Abbey in their arms. She had been a surprise, but she was the joy of the family. When I had held her in my arms I was so happy to have a sister.

Then everything had been shattered by that car accident. Something that Abbey would have to know later on. I seethed at the memory, but I quickly pushed it to the back of my mind. I had to think of the present. Now I had my sister back, and I was going to do everything within my power to make sure she felt like family.

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**So what do you think? Reviews appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for the reviews you've posted! It's really encouraging to hear from all of you!**

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**Chapter Four**

Pepper and I had spent over an hour talking. It was surprising at how long we talked. I had actually made friend. Maybe I should start talking to Tony as well. I may be angry at what he did, but I'd have to forgive him sooner or later, and it might as well be sooner. It was about eight in the morning when I woke up. There was a pair of clothes laying at the end of the bed, I figured it had been Pepper. A pair of blue jeans and a blue top. Just my style. Plain. I made my way out the door and down the hall to the living room. No one was around at the time. I figured everyone was still in bed.

"Is there anything you need, Ms. Stark?" JARVIS asked. I was getting quite used to him and his British accent.

"No thanks, JARVIS." I said as I sat on the couch. The view was out towards the beach, just like my room, only bigger. The Sun had risen over the ocean and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I had dreamed of visiting the ocean one day, and to be honest, it was more beautiful than I had imagined it. This silence was broken with footsteps from behind. I turned to find Tony. I decided to be nice.

"Morning." I said before turning back towards the view. There was a pause for a moment before he started walking again. I smiled. He obviously wasn't expecting me to talk to him.

"Did you umm, sleep well?" Tony inquired, testing to see how far this conversation could go.

"Very." I said. I could see him from my peripheral vision. He seemed a bit confused. He walked slowly towards the edge of the couch and sat down, his eyes glancing towards me every two seconds.

"Mind if I turn on the TV?" He asked. I shook my head and we glanced over to the TV hanging on a wall. The news was on and it was pretty boring, politics and such.

"Good morning." Pepper's voice chimed as she came in. She stopped for a moment too, but she was not as surprised as Tony and she kept on walking towards the kitchen.

"Do you two want anything?" She hollered.

"Lucky Charms!" We both said simultaneously. Hmmm...maybe we were related. After breakfast, we all were pretty quiet. After several minutes, a thought came to my mind.

"What happens to my classes at MIT?" I asked. I almost had my robot done and I was so close to graduating.

"Consider them passed." Tony said. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what that meant.

"Let's just say with your grades and my persuasion, the Dean has decided that you can graduate, no questions asked."

Well, I wasn't really upset about that. At least I didn't have to spend another hour in a classroom drooling over my books in boredom.

"What about my robot?" I asked. I had worked kind of hard on that robot. I didn't want to have that project go to waste.

"How about working on the one-of-a-kind Iron Man suit?" NO WAY. The real Iron Man suit? Awesome! But I tried to play it low key.

"Sounds good." I replied calmly.

"Well then, let's go!" Tony said, springing up from the couch. We headed down to the lab, leaving Pepper behind. Before we turned the corner, I could see that she was smiling ear to ear.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

I couldn't believe it. She was talking to me. After yesterday, I figured it would be a while before that happened.

Right now we...well...actually Abbey...Rebecca...whatever she wanted to be called, was working on the suit. She was effortlessly working on the suit, as if she'd done it a hundred times before. I sat back and watched as she made a few suggestions and I nodded my head in approval at a few of the things she said. She had a lot of ideas for an eighteen year old, most of them pretty impressive, some I hadn't even thought about. She definitely had an imagination. Combined with Stark genius, she could go far in life.

"Mr. Stark?" She asked. It was odd, having my sister address me so formal.

"Tony." I corrected her.

"Tony..." She contemplated for a moment on whatever question was in her mind. "What were Mom and Dad like?"

Mom and Dad. Dad hadn't seemed like my biggest fan even after his death, but after a near-death experience about a year ago, I had more positive feelings toward him. Mom was always the best. She would send me boxes full of goodies at boarding school once, maybe twice a week. She missed me and told me often how much she loved me. After Abbey was born, I was eighteen, and I saw how Mom and Dad were as parents. She really was the apple of Dad's eye. He would sing her to sleep before putting her to bed and Mom would rock her in her rocking chair. It was the perfect picture of a family. Abbey had drawn us all closer together than ever before.

"They loved you more than you could ever know." I replied. I started to tell her all I could remember about them and she listened intently. The next thing I knew, we were out of the lab and sipping coffee upstairs. We sat for hours, mostly consisting of Rebecca asking me questions, mostly about Mom and Dad, and me answering them. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was eager to take in all that she could.

"What happened to me?" Rebecca asked.

"What do you mean?" I had a feeling I knew what she was asking.

"What happened after the car accident? The caretaker at the orphanage said someone dropped me on the doorstep with a note saying my parents had died."

Oh, yeah. That.

"Do you remember a man in the news by the name of Obadiah Stane?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. He died in a plane crash, right?"

"Not exactly, but that's beside the point. You see, he was after Stark Industries. He had faulty brakes installed in the car, not knowing that I had not joined you all for a family dinner that night because of some big weapons project. On the way to dinner, the brakes failed and the car went off the side of the road. Someone was following, making sure that the job was finished. But he found that you were still alive. He chickened out on finishing the job and instead dropped you off at an orphanage in Massachusetts so far away that I would probably never see you again."

"Why didn't he have someone kill you too?" She asked.

"Too suspicious. And he had too much involved in the company to have me killed the same night. There was too much of a possibility that it would be tied to him. And with my brain, I escalated the Stark Industries to a billion dollar company. It was then he decided to have me killed, but that's another story."

Rebecca was shocked, to say the least. I admit, it didn't sound that believable either, but it was the truth. With me, practically anything could happen. It took a few moments for her to absorb everything. Then she asked something out of the blue.

"What did Mom look like?"

I smiled. I took my wallet out of my pocket and pulled out a picture of Mom and Dad posing in a photograph. I had kept it forever. She took it in her hands and studied it, tracing her finger around Mom's face. The resemblance between the two was striking. Mom would be proud to see the woman her daughter had become. I felt a twinge of regret, knowing that Mom would never see her.

"It's yours." I said and she smiled at me. She had Mom's smile too.

"Thank you, Tony." She said.

"You're welcome Rebecca." I said, stuffing the wallet back in my pocket.

"Call me Abbey."

* * *

**A lot of fluff, but can you blame me? They were separated for twenty years! Warning: There will be more brother-sister fluff moments! I hope that doesn't deter you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so I warned you all about tons of fluff, right? I'm going to put in some action later on in the story, just not now. Hang in there with me guys! For now, it's just little sister-big brother bonding time! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Tell me what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

I had been living in Malibu for a week and so far, things were looking up. Tony and I would work in the lab in the morning and Pepper would come back in the afternoon from her job at Stark Industries. I did find it rather odd that Tony never went to his own business building, but he said it was too boring sitting behind a desk. And after a week of living with the man, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that that was true.

We were sitting at the table for dinner one evening. I had attempted to make lasagna and so far so good. I wasn't the best cook around, but no one had gone running to spit it out, so that was an accomplishment, right?

"Abbey..." I was beginning to like my new name, or, old name to be more precise...anyways, "you haven't been out since you came here, have you?" I shook my head.

"You need to get out sometime." She said.

"I've been busy." I said, referring to Tony and I in the lab. I hadn't even realized how much I missed the outdoors. I hadn't even taken a breath of fresh air since I got here.

"There's more to life you two than staying in that lab all day." She nagged like she was our mother.

"There's more to life than being cooped in a stuffy old office too." Tony retorted and I smiled.

"We need to take a day out, just to do something." Pepper insisted.

"What about the whole 'the press will have a field day?'" Tony asked. Oh yeah. If and when the press found out that I was Tony Stark's long lost sister, I'd been plastered over every newspaper in the country.

"Who cares." I said. "They're going to find out sooner or later, might as well be sooner." Pepper seemed a little surprised, but Tony was pretty happy.

"She does have a little bit of me in there!" Tony said. Pepper gave him a look and then turned to me.

"Are you sure?" She warned.

"I'm a Stark. I can take it." I felt a new sense of boldness. I had been around Tony _way_ too long. This only caused Tony grinned bigger.

"You heard her. Let's go!" Tony said, hopping from his chair. We both continued to sit and watched as he walked away.

"We didn't mean right now!" I shouted. He kept on walking as if he didn't hear me.

"He's something else." I said, looking to Pepper who was shaking her head.

"Indeed." She agreed.

We managed to talk Tony out of going anywhere that night, but the following day, he made her call in "sick." I had nicknamed the illness Tony-itis.

We got in the car with a driver Tony and Pepper called Happy.

"Where to?" Happy asked.

"Where do you want to go?" Pepper asked the both of us.

We looked towards each other and shrugged our shoulders.

"You really do need new clothes." Pepper said to me. "If you're going to face the press, you need a new wardrobe."

I sighed. I knew I would have to get some new clothes sooner or later. Dressing in blue jeans and t-shirts wouldn't exactly be the greatest thing to wear in front of cameras. The thought of all of them on me kind of freaked me out. I swallowed my fear. I was a Stark. I was born for this.

"Sure." I said.

We spent most of the day shopping. Dresses, skirts, shoes, dress pants. It wasn't my favorite things to wear, but I would be ready for the press when I needed it. I also got a new leather jacket and casual clothes.

"You're going to need these." Tony said to me, handing me a pair of sunglasses. I gave him a quizzical look. "The camera flash hurts your eyes." I made the shape of an 'o.' "Plus they make you look cool." Now that sounded like a Tony thing. Sure enough, as soon as we left the building, there were about twenty camera flashes that hit us all at once.

"Just keep walking." Tony said as we made our way towards the car. When we got back in the car, Happy asked where to.

"Your turn." I said to Tony. He thought for a moment.

"I think the beach sounds good." He said. "It should be quiet around this time."

"Sounds good to me." Pepper said. I think she was just as exhausted as I was.

"To the beach Happy!" Pepper said.

"Cheeseburger first!" Tony shouted before we took off.

* * *

Tony was right. The beach was pretty quiet. Only a few people were in sight and they were far off. After our run-in with the press, I was overjoyed at the deserted beach. As Tony munched on his cheeseburger with Pepper on the sand, I walked around a bit. My toes sank into the sand the small waves wash over my feet. The sun was setting as I walked and it was so peaceful. I could have been here forever and I wouldn't have noticed.

"Water fight!" Tony's voice shouted as he came out of nowhere and practically bulldozed me into the water. Next thing I knew, I was soaked, as was he.

"Hey!" I shouted in-between laughs.

"What?" Tony said innocently. I splashed some seawater on him and he returned the favor.

"What are you two doing? You're soaked!" yelled Pepper.

"Come on, live a little!" Tony said from the water. She shook her head and refused to go in. He turned his head in my direction and gave me a look that said everything. I nodded. We both took off at the same time out of the water. Pepper, knowing what we were going to do, started running. It wasn't hard to catch up with her, she wasn't much of a runner. Tony grabbed her by the waist and proceeded to take her into the water.

"Tony no! My hair!" She screamed as she tried to squirm out of his grip.

"You can fix it later!" Tony said as he got in the water. She was soaked...and furious!

"Anthony Howard Stark!" She yelled. "When I get my hands on you, I'll..."

"What? Kiss me? Ooooo...I'm so scared!" Tony said, putting on his best mock scared face.

She quickly and successfully proceeded to dunk him in the water. He came out and shook his hair, thoroughly soaked.

"Got you." She laughed.

"Haha!" I yelled in-between giggles.

"You're next!" Pepper yelled. I gulped. The wrath of Pepper. She may not be a runner, but a quick swimmer, yes. She got me three, yes, three times. I would have to return the favor to her someday. The rest of the time at the beach was just as enjoyable. And for once, I felt like I had a family.

* * *

I sat up on the roof of the house that night, looking out into the open ocean. Once I had gotten all the sand and the smell of seawater off of me, I wanted a little piece and quiet. Tony and Pepper had gone to bed and this gave me some time to think. In a week, everything I knew about my life had changed. I was still an orphan, but I felt like I knew my parents now. I pulled out the photo of my parents again and looked at my mother's face. I did look a lot like her. And I saw some of Dad too. I found myself wishing that car crash had never happened. Then I could have had my parents. I could have been held in my mother's arms or played with my father. But reality reminded me that I could never have any of those moments; the "I love you's," the kissing of boo-boos, the bedtime stories, all of that would never happen in my lifetime. All I had was this picture.

"You alright?" I turned around to see Tony.

"I thought you were asleep." I said. "Did I wake you?"

"No, no. I...kind of checked your room and you weren't there. I thought I might try up here."

"Oh." I said. It was oddly comforting to think that he had been checking for me. At the orphanage, no one really cared about us. We had had many runaways, and there wasn't much concern for any of them. I had thought about it several times, but the world was just like the orphanage: cold and unfriendly. I might as well stay where I had at least some chance of adoption.

"What are you doing up here?" He asked, taking a seat next to me.

"Just thought I'd get some fresh air." I replied, looking out to the ocean. It was quiet for several moments before Tony looked back at me.

"What was it like at the orphanage?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Terrible." I said flatly. That was truly the only word to describe it. He cocked an eyebrow, obviously expecting more. So I told him. I told him about the mean, spiteful caretaker, the building that was beyond repair, and somehow, I told him about the loneliness I felt at night. I went to bed crying because I felt like no one loved me. I was told I was incapable of being loved by one angry teenager when I was little. I was thoroughly convinced after that that I would never be adopted. It hurt to relive those memories. What should have been happy years had turned into painful recollections that only brought back the deep emptiness that I felt inside.

Tony's eyes softened. The next thing I knew, he wrapped me in a hug.

"I'll make sure you never feel that way again." He whispered and he hugged me even tighter. I felt a feeling of warmth and comfort envelope me with that embrace. I had no doubt of what I was feeling. For the first time in my life, I was feeling love.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

I couldn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was my sister in an orphanage, all alone and unloved. I got up in the middle of the night and quietly opened Abbey's door. She was fast asleep. As I watched the rise and fall of her chest, I felt some peace knowing that she was safe. I quietly made my way over to her bed and lightly kissed her forehead.

"I love you Abs." I whispered. "I'll never let anything bad happen to you ever again."

I quietly closed the door behind me and went back to bed, finally catching a little sleep.

* * *

**It looks like Tony and Abbey are finally getting what they've always wanted in life. ****What do you think of this chapter?**


	6. Chapter 6

**New chapter up and ready to go! Enjoy my readers!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"Ms. Stark?" I woke up to the sound of JARVIS.

"What?" I asked groggily as I sat up.

"Mr. Stark requests that you come out of your room." I looked at the clock. It was almost noon! I quickly got up and dressed before heading to the kitchen.

"Morning sleepyhead." Tony said as I walked into the kitchen. He was standing by the stove, cooking something that smelled less than pleasant.

"There's a surprise on the table for you." He said, motioning to a newspaper. And there I was on the front page sporting the pair of sunglasses I got yesterday. The headlines read 'Tony Stark's Long-Lost Sister's Return...From the Dead?' I snorted.

"I wonder who blabbed." I said distastefully as I smacked the paper down on the table.

"A nosy intern." Tony said. "Needless to say, she's without a job."

"At least I look good in this one." I muttered as I looked at the photo and he chuckled.

"You knew it was coming." He reminded me.

"I didn't expect them to figure out I was your sister so quick." I said.

"Oh well. At least that's over with." He said as he flipped whatever it was he was cooking in the skillet.

"What is that?" I asked, holding my hand to my nose. It smelled like something was burning.

"It's grilled cheese...sort of." Tony said, putting one on a plate. It was pitch black.

"I think you should stick to building your Iron Man suit." I said.

"Probably." He laughed before dumping the burned sandwiches.

"Maybe I should give it a try." I suggested before taking over. In a matter of minutes, lunch was served.

"Delicious." He said after taking one bite. He went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of ketchup. He proceeded to squeeze its contents into his sandwich. I shuddered.

"You're nasty!" I said distastefully.

"Everything tastes better with ketchup!" He said defensively.

"Gross." I continued.

"Sir, you have a phone call." JARVIS interceded.

"Who is it?" Tony asked.

"It's Director Fury." JARVIS replied.

"Tell him that whatever him and the super-secret boy band want, it can wait. I'm busy."

"I'm afraid he's persisting. He says it's urgent."

Tony sighed and pulled out his phone and began to speak. There were a few 'uh-huhs' and some "hmms..." here and there.

"Look, I can't leave right now. If you didn't know already, which I'm sure your group of agents has probably already figured out by reading the papers this morning, I've found my sister and I can't be called in."

There was some more talking and he sighed again.

"Alright. Tell Captain Oldtimer to hold onto his britches. I'll be there." He hung up the phone and looked to me.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"His name's Director Fury. He leads a spy group called S.H.I.E.L.D. He works with the whole Avengers thing."

Avengers? I had completely forgotten that my brother was part of the Avengers. And S.H.I.E.L.D. I had heard all about them after the alien invasion.

"Do you have to go?" I asked and he nodded.

"How do you feel about going to New York?" He asked.

"Really?" I asked and he nodded.

"Go pack your stuff and we'll head out."

I was back in an instant and we were off to New York. Life just got way cooler.

* * *

"Yes, I took her with me." Tony said, talking to Pepper on the other end of the phone. I heard Pepper's voice get louder on the other end.

"She's perfectly safe with me." Tony tried to reassure her, but her voice only got louder.

"She's part of the family. She was bound to be caught up with the Avengers anyway."

I glanced out the view of Stark Tower, trying to ignore the conversation in the back. Tony had just called Pepper so she wouldn't freak out when she found the house completely empty. I watched the busy streets of New York, scattered with tourists and traffic. I couldn't believe this was the same area that had had the big alien attack about six months ago. It had been all over the news, and I, along with every other student on campus had all skipped class to watch the what was going on in New York. The city looked like nothing had ever happened. Tony finally put his phone away and joined me.

"I'm guessing it didn't go that well." I stated and he shook his head.

"She'll get over it." He replied. "She usually forgives my spur of the moment exploits."

"I'm guessing that's one of the reasons why you married her." I said with a smile.

"One of the many aspects about her that I love." He remarked.

"So when do you go and see them...the other Avengers I mean?" I asked.

"Actually, they're meeting here." He answered. "Except for Thor that is. He's back in Asgard."

The Avengers? Meeting here?!

"You alright with that?" He asked, unsure as he saw a little nervousness in my expression.

"Well..I...didn't expect all of them here..." I didn't really know what to say. The world's greatest superheroes meeting all in one place? It was awesome, but I was pretty nervous.

"They're pretty alright, sis." He said, patting me on the shoulder. "Nothing to be nervous about." I calmed a bit at my big brother's words.

"The only one you have to worry about is ol' Captain Goody Two-Shoes." I was confused.

"Captain America." He stated.

"Oh." I said. I wasn't about to mention that Captain America was one of my favorite Avengers, right behind Iron Man that is.

"Do you want some schwarma for dinner?" Tony changed the subject.

"What's schwarma?" I asked.

I quickly regretted that statement when we had it delivered. It was the nastiest stuff I ever tried.

* * *

I munched on a cheeseburger contentedly outside of a local diner. Tony was happily eating my schwarma at the Tower whilst I decided to get something else. He seemed a little uneasy about letting me go out alone, but he decided to anyway. He was still in protective big brother mode and I didn't blame him. I decided not to go very far for his sake, and maybe my own. I was alone in New York City and really didn't want to get lost.

"Is there anything else I can get for you miss?" The waitress asked politely and I shook my head.

"No thank you." I said, quickly pulling a twenty out that Tony had given me. "Keep the change." I said as I walked away. I didn't look where I was going and I rammed into someone, nearly toppling over until a pair of strong arms caught me. I looked up and saw a blonde, handsome-faced stranger holding me. I was at a loss for words as I looked into his soft eyes.

"Umm...I'm so sorry." I said as he let go and I returned into a standing position. He paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." He said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Neither was I.' I confessed and he laughed lightly.

"It's alright."

"Thanks for catching me." I said. I could feel my cheeks blush. I didn't really know why I was so starstruck by this guy, but there was something about him that was almost...dazzling. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"You're welcome." He said. He seemed a little at a loss himself.

"Ummm...well, thanks again and goodbye." I said and I started to walk away.

"Wait!" He said. I turned. He didn't seem to know what he was doing. "Ummm...I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Abbey." I replied. I didn't want to use my last name. That might provoke all sorts of attention. Curious, I asked, "What's yours?"

"Steve." He said, giving me a small smile. My heart started to pulse a little faster.

"It's nice to meet you Steve." I said. Was he flirting? And was I flirting back?

"I don't suppose I could walk you home?" He asked in a gentleman-like manner. I shook my head. That would really freak him out to see who my brother was.

"No thanks." He seemed a little downcast.

"But how would you like to meet here tomorrow?" I asked and he perked up.

"That would be great." Steve replied. "Around noon?"

"Sure." I said.

He gave me another smile before turning and walking away. I didn't stop watching until he was out of sight. Did I just make a date?

* * *

**Hmmm...I wonder who this Steve person is.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so I guess we're going to figure out who this Steve character is. It's a big surprise, I'm telling you! lol At least for Abbey.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

I decided not to tell Tony about Steve and that I was meeting him tomorrow. The last thing I wanted was for him to flip out about me meeting some random guy. The Avengers would be coming in any moment, and I was trying to look the best I could. Tony had said I could stay for the meeting.

"Don't worry about appearances. You look great." Tony assured me.

"I don't want to look like a wreck when the world's best team of superheroes arrives." I said and he laughed.

"You could have just woken up and you would still look like the prettiest sister." He said.

"You're just saying that because I'm your sister." I said, blushing for the second time that day.

"You've got the good looks of the family, right behind me that is." He said playfully and I shoved him.

"Hey!" I said with a laugh.

"I'm just saying..."

"Sir, the team has arrived." JARVIS informed us.

"Send them in." Tony replied.

The elevators doors opened to reveal four people. One was a red-head dressed all in black, followed by another man with reddish-brown hair dressed all in black as well. The next person out was a brown-haired guy with glasses, dressed in a dark-collared shirt. Then my eyes laid on the last person and my eyes went wide. Steve.

Steve's eyes met mine and his eyes revealed both shock and confusion.

"Abbey?" He asked.

"Steve?" I was just as dumbfounded as he was. Tony, seeing that we knew each other, looked at Steve first.

"How do you know my sister?" He sounded a little defensive.

"You have a sister?" The man with the glasses asked, looking from me to Tony.

"Didn't you read the papers this morning?" The man in black said, sitting down along with the red-headed woman. "The long-lost, supposedly dead sister has returned."

"You have a sister?" Steve asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes, Captain Obvious. I think we figured that out." Tony said sarcastically.

Captain? The only other Avenger that would be called Captain would be...

"Captain America?" I asked. Steve nodded. I had never seen Captain America's face. From what I had seen from the New York footage was him having his mask on.

"That's a...surprise." Steve said, looking sheepish.

"You're telling me." Tony said, glaring at Steve through narrowed slits.

"Tony, he had no idea...and neither did I for that matter." I explained.

"How do you two know each other?" Tony asked again.

"Maybe we should save this for another time." The man with the glasses suggested. Tony looked to him, then to Steve and then to me.

"Alright Bruce." I presumed that was the man with the glasses name was. "Let's get to business." Tony said, trying to shrug it off. It wasn't working.

"Is she joining us?" The man in black asked and Tony nodded.

"Yes, Clint." He replied.

"I thought this was a top-secret meeting." The red-headed woman said, her eyes serious. She looked from me to Tony and raised an eyebrow.

"Natasha, she's a Stark, remember? She's part of this whole crazy scenario too." Tony replied.

"She's your little sister that you just found after eighteen years of searching. Do you really want her to get involved in something so dangerous?" She reasoned.

"Like I said, she's a Stark. She's bound to get involved sooner or later. Might as well be sooner." Tony said. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to put her in a fight or anything."

The woman named Natasha must have thought it was pretty useless as she dropped the topic.

"Well," Tony clapped his hands together, "let's get this show on the road." He ushered all of us to some couches and chairs. I sat beside Tony and Steve wisely positioned himself away from me...more out of fear for my brother.

"So, why are we here?" Tony questioned Steve.

"We have been tracking a series of threats around the world." Steve explained. "It's a Russian terrorist group and we believe they are connected with several attempts to hack high-tech military security systems."

"So you want me to track them." Tony stated. Steve nodded.

"Anything technology-wise. If there's any unauthorized usage at military databases, we want to know. Dr. Banner also would like to join you."

Clint and Natasha continued to debrief Tony on the situation. I listened, but my gaze drifted more towards Steve, who I could see was glancing one in a while towards my direction when Tony wasn't looking. I could see a small grin, but if Tony so much as glanced at him, it disappeared. Inwardly, I was laughing at the whole scene.

"Then that settles it." Tony concluded. "Sis and I will stay in New York whilst me and Bruce will work on the tracing."

"Sounds good to me." Steve agreed.

"Since we're done with that, who's up for a drink?" Tony asked, making his way towards the bar.

"I think I'll take you up on that." Clint said.

"So what do you do?" Natasha asked me.

"I'm just a robotics engineering and physics major." I said plainly and Clint scoffed.

"You make it sound trivial." He said.

"It's not really that hard...at least not to me."

"You definitely have the Stark genius gene." Bruce commented.

"What can I say, we're two peas in a pod." Tony said proudly as he sat back next to me.

"What did you plan to do with your degree?" Natasha asked curiously.

"I had actually wanted to work for Stark Industries. I guess I got my wish." We all laughed at the irony.

"Well, Director Fury is expecting a report soon. We'll tell him your in and get back to you sometime during the week." Clint informed us as he and Natasha got up and left.

"See you tomorrow in the lab?" Bruce asked and Tony nodded. They both continued in other conversation whilst Steve and I got a chance to talk.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea.." I started.

"We both weren't being exactly truthful." Steve said. "But I guess our date just got cancelled."

"What date?" Tony's voice echoed through the room. We hadn't even noticed Bruce had left and Tony's eyes were on us.

Whoops.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

"We umm..." Captain Oldtimer seemed at a loss for words. He was definitely up to something...with _my_ sister.

"Ummm what?" I asked suspiciously. I did NOT like the thought of Steve and my sister being together. Not one bit.

"We made some plans for tomorrow." Abbey said, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Like what?" I demanded, crossing my arms.

"We were going to go out to eat at a diner." Abbey explained. A date? My sister, _my_ eighteen year-old sister going on a date with Steve? Every instinct said...

"Absolutely not." I said firmly.

"And why not?" She said, putting her hands on her hips and looking me straight in the eye. She was so much like Mom. If her and Dad got into an argument, she would put her hands on her hips and give me the same look Abbey was giving me right now.

"Because I said so." I sounded more like a parent than a brother.

"You're not the boss of me." Abbey retorted.

"I'm your big brother and I said no." I said sharply.

"Maybe I should go..." Steve was quickly cut off by Abbey.

"No Steve. I can go out with anyone I choose, and he has no say so." Abbey snapped, glaring at me. I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Would you please excuse us?" I said to Steve. He took the hint and left, quite quickly I might add.

"What's wrong with me dating Steve?" Abbey demanded as soon as the elevator doors shut.

"He's just...just..." Where was a good excuse when I needed one?

"Just what?" She said.

"He's too old for you." I said.

"He's like, twenty-one."

"Add about seventy years to that." I said. She had to have been taught about Captain America in history class.

"But he's not some creepy old man. He's a guy I just happen to like." Abbey argued.

"I said no and that's final." I said sharply. This time, Abbey seemed hurt.

"You're not Dad." She said before walking off to her room, closing the door and locking it.

Ouch.

"Abs, please. I'm sorry." I said. No response.

After a few minutes, I decided to leave her alone. I sat on the couch and dialed the only person I knew who could help.

"Hello?" Pepper's voice brought sweet relief to my ears.

"You're never going to guess what happened today." I told her about Steve and Abbey and the whole date scenario.

"That sounds great." Pepper was surprisingly happy about all this.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"From what I've seen of Steve, he's quite the gentleman." Pepper said. Great. Even my wife approved of him.

"But he's like ninety years old."

"He's in his twenties." Pepper said. "The other seventy doesn't count and you know that." I sighed. I told her about the fight.

"Tony, from what you're saying, it sounds like this is more about you than her." Pepper reasoned.

"What?" Now I was really confused.

"It's not his age that you're worried about. It's you. You're afraid he's taking away your sister."

I couldn't help but think that the words were true. I had only known my sister a few weeks and now she was hanging out with someone else. She was my sister, the one I had been searching for for years. Shouldn't I be the one to be around her right now?

"Yeah." I admitted. There was a brief silence for a moment.

"Where is she now?" She asked.

"In her room."

"Go talk to her."

"She locked me out."

"Try again." She urged.

"Alright. Thanks." I said before hanging up the phone. I sighed.

I knocked on the door again. No answer.

"Abs, I'm sorry. I know that you want to date Steve and all, I'm just not comfortable with it. I just got you back for a whole two weeks out of eighteen years. I was jealous." There was still silence.

"I'm sorry." I said one more time before turning away. That was when the door opened. There was Abbey.

"I'm sorry too." She said before hugging me. "And I understand. I've only had you for a couple of weeks too, you know." I held her tight.

"I tell you what. I'll let you go out with Steve as long as you help me on tracing those Russian terrorists." She readily agreed.

"Thank you." She said, hugging me tighter. It was good to be a big brother.

* * *

**What did ya'll think?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Saturday night update! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

I met Steve the following day. He was just as handsome as yesterday. He was wearing some tan pants and a green button-down shirt. He smiled when he saw me and quickly pulled out a chair. He was such a gentleman.

"I can't believe he let you go." Steve said as he sat down. Tony had called Steve himself last night and formally apologized. "He's not really one to apologize...at all."

"Let's just say I talked him into it." I said with a small grin.

"What can I get you to order?" The waitress asked kindly.

"I'll have a salad." I said.

"The same." Steve ordered. As she left Steve turned his gaze back to me.

"So tell me about yourself." He said.

"I said what mostly matters last night. Just a robotics engineering and physics major." I said. I wasn't interested in telling him some sob story about my personal life. The last thing I wanted was for my date to feel sorry for me. "What about you?"

"I was born on July 4th, 1922." Steve said. It sounded crazy, but already knowing how he had become a frozen capsicle for seventy years made him not seem so crazy...or maybe it made it crazier. I didn't care. "I guess you already know about the serum and all." I nodded. History class had covered that about Captain America and the super-soldier serum project. It was pretty cool.

"So where did you live before going to MIT?" I had wanted to avoid the subject. So much for that.

"Well...I was living at an orphanage until I was fifteen." His eyes quickly softened. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel sorry for me. He had been frozen for seventy years and was in a completely different era. I should be feeling sorry for him!

"I'm sorry." He said, kind of ashamed he had even asked.

"Don't be. I'm here now and I'm great. I have a family, which is what none of the other kids ever got." I explained. "And besides, I left there and went to MIT on a full-ride scholarship. I got out. I was lucky."

"That's impressive for an eighteen year-old. You've been through a lot."

"Not anything I couldn't handle." I replied.

"Here you go." The waitress said, delivering our salads. We spent the rest of the time talking, a lot of it about what we liked to do. Steve was quite the homebody, I had to say. He loved to read. He didn't look like a reader, but he would start talking about his favorite books and I was enchanted by the way he'd talk about them so fondly.

"They were kind of like my friends as a kid." He explained. "Apart from my best friend, Bucky, they were all I had." I felt kind of bad for him because of his lonely childhood which was so much like my own.

"I wish I could find some more books around here." He said. "All people do is walk around with their mooks or whatever they are."

"Nooks." I corrected him. I preferred a good book myself instead of reading from a tablet. "And I think we could find a few places around here with some books."

"Really?" He said with a tinge of excitement.

"Yeah, let me check up on a few places." I whipped out my phone and found a few places. "There's one a few blocks away."

We finished our meal and headed off to the bookstore. Somehow we winded up in the kid's section and we were sitting on the floor looking through books. Steve had picked up _The Story of Ferdinand_. The bull and and Steve were a lot alike. Steve may be big like Ferdinand, but he had a soft heart.

"I remember this one." I said, grabbing one off the shelf. It was titled _"I'll Love You Forever."_ One of the kids had left it at the orphanage. It was about a young boy that went through all the stages of life and each night his mother would always sing him to sleep. Every night up to the day I left for MIT I would read it, imagining what my mother and father had been like.

"I've never read this one before." Steve said, taking it out of my hands. He skimmed through it, laughing at some of the funny things that were in it and his eyes grew soft as the book came to an end.

"It was my favorite book as a kid." I said, taking it back into my hands and remembering the bittersweet memories. Steve was quiet for that moment, respecting my reminiscence.

I looked at my watch.

"I should go. My brother will probably flip if I'm gone for much longer." I said. I looked at the book for a moment and smiled. I had to get it, no matter how bittersweet those memories were. I felt like it gave me a special connection with my parents.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

Where were those two at? They had been gone for about three hours. Last time I checked, it didn't take that long to eat a burger. I was about to call when the elevator doors opened and in walked my sister and Captain Oldtimer.

"What took you so long?" I asked sternly as I folded my arms.

"We went to a bookstore after lunch." Abbey replied.

"You should have called." I said. Geez, I was starting to sound like a parent.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud." Abbey said teasingly and I sighed.

I was trying hard not to nag. She was eighteen. She could stand on her own two feet. But my brotherly instincts rejected the very thought.

"Find anything good?" I asked.

"Just a kid's book." Abbey said.

"Aren't you a little old for children's books?" I asked. "Or does baby Abbey like to look at the pictures?" I joked.

She narrowed her eyes to slits and gave me a light slap on the shoulder.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"For being a big brother!" She said with a laugh. Steve was chuckling slightly.

"You better wipe that grin off your Cap." I said, giving him a semi-threatening glare. That cleared the smile off his face.

"Be nice." Abbey warned.

"Like you said, just being a big brother." I said innocently. I made my way to the bar and got a drink.

"I'll see you later." Abbey said to Steve as he went towards the door.

"Call me." Steve said before looking at me and giving a small wave. I gave him a curt nod and he was out the door. Abbey went and flopped on the couch, a content grin on her face.

Why did he have to be so perfect?

* * *

Tony, Bruce and I had been in New York for a week. We had been working on tracing the Russian terrorist group, but so far, we weren't anywhere close to finding them. Steve and I had been on another date at a skating rink, and surprisingly, Tony had seemed a little calmer about it. I think he liked the video I had secretly taped of Steve falling on his butt at the rink. For a super-solder, he wasn't very balanced. Tony, Bruce and I kept watching it over and over again that night and laughed so hard we all cried.

At the moment, all three of us were sitting at a table watching the tracing system. I think we were becoming more and more bored because we had taken some Lucky Charms and some spoons and started flipping the cereal at each other to see if the other could catch it in their mouths. Bruce was playing the scorekeeper, and right now, Tony was winning.

"The score is now 10-6." Bruce said as Tony flipped a rainbow marshmallow at me and it landed into my mouth.

"10-7." I corrected him, flipping another cereal piece. It bounced off Tony's nose.

"What is the point of this game?" JARVIS asked.

"To defeat boredom and solve hunger at the same time." I said and Tony chuckled.

"We have saved the world!" He concluded.

"You're both geniuses." JARVIS said very un-serious like. He may be an A.I., but he did have a way of sounding sarcastic.

"Yeah really." Bruce said.

"Sir, Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton have arrived." JARVIS said.

"Send them in." Tony said and the elevator doors opened.

"Should I ask?" Natasha said as she saw our scattered cereal arsenal on the floor.

"You probably shouldn't." Bruce warned.

"Just a cereal eating contest and I'm winning." Tony said, flicking a piece in my direction, only it missed and hit Natasha on the cheek. She frowned and Tony quickly avoided eye contact with her.

"What's up?" I asked as they glanced over the system.

"Just doing a check-up." Clint said as he took up a chair. "Find anything?" Tony shook his head.

"Not yet. They'll show up sooner or later though."

"Hopefully sooner than later." Natasha remarked.

It was then that Tony's phone started to ring. The name read "Pepper."

"Hello dear." Tony said. There was a couple of "um-hmms" and "uh-huhs."

"Sounds great. We'll see you soon. Love you." He hung up the phone. It was then that he remembered that two agents were listening in on his call and he smiled.

"Pepper's coming over for the weekend." He said.

"Really?" I said happily. Even though I had only known her for about a month, it felt like we were practically sisters.

"She'll be here in a few hours." He replied. In response I looked at the floor.

"We'd better clean this up then." I remarked.

"By 'we' you mean 'you' right?" He said.

"Next person to catch a cereal piece wins and doesn't have to do it." Bruce suggested.

"Deal." Tony said. I launched a cereal piece and hit his face. He returned and I caught it gracefully in my mouth.

"Not fair." Tony said. "Redo!"

"Redo?" Natasha said. "I don't think so."

"She got you fair and square." Clint said and I smirked. Tony looked to Bruce for help.

"Sorry, the ref agrees." Bruce chuckled and Tony frowned.

"Thank you." I said to the two agents and Bruce before looking at Tony. It was good to be the little sister.

* * *

**Do I have an obsession with Lucky Charms? YES! LOL**


	9. Chapter 9

**UPDATE! Enjoy my lovely readers! And if you're a guy a reading this, take lovely as a compliment! LOL I also wanted to thank all of you for reviewing! I never was able to thank my guest that also reviewed, but thank you! Have a great day everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"Pepper!" I screamed as she came through the elevator door.

"Abbey!" She said as she embraced me in a hug. One week had seemed like forever.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Good now that I'm here. The house is lonely without you two." She replied.

"We are quite the entertainment, aren't we?" Tony said as he embraced Pepper and kissed her on the lips.

"So what have you two been up to?" Pepper asked.

"Come." Tony said as he ushered her over to the computer tracing system. We had continued to watch it, hoping for a hit soon.

"The second we get a hit, we'll be right on their tail." Tony said. "It's better than S.H.I.E.L.D's tracing system."

"I'm sure." Pepper said. She turned to me. "How's Steve?"

"He's good. He's been in a few times since we got to New York." I replied. Pepper smiled and set her gaze on Tony.

"And has Tony been well-behaved?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"Yes I have." He responded. "I haven't laid a hand on his pretty-boy head."

"Good boy." Pepper patted him gingerly on the shoulder. I snickered and Tony gave me a glare.

"Shut up." He snapped. I kept snickering.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" Pepper asked Tony. It occurred to me that they hadn't been alone since I came along.

"Want to go get some schwarma?" Tony asked and Pepper smiled. She loved it as much as he did, the weirdos.

"I would love some." She replied.

"How about you two go." I suggested and they gave me these weird looks.

"What?" Tony asked.

"You two haven't had a moment alone since I got here. How about you two go and enjoy some time together?" I said.

Pepper smiled. I think she liked the idea herself.

"No, we couldn't..." Tony tried to object.

"Go." I ordered and Tony smiled. I could tell he wanted some time with her too.

"No wild parties while we're gone!" He ordered as they went out the door an hour later, Pepper giving me a silent 'thank you' before the elevator doors closed. Finally, some peace and quiet. Before I knew it, I was on the couch and fast asleep.

* * *

_Abbey's Dream Sequence That Night_

_The scene before me was filled with pink, a teddy-bear border decorating the room. I was wrapped in a pink blanket and was being held against someone with dark brown hair and dark mustache. His face was so familiar..._

_"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." The man's voice was soothing as he kept his arms wrapped around me._

_"You were always a singer." A woman's voice said and I looked over to a woman who looked exactly like me. Her curly locks flowed naturally around her face and her brown eyes revealed her soft, warm personality._

_"She's so tiny." The man admired as he smiled down at me. His eyes reminded me of Tony's. "She's got your eyes."_

_"She's got your nose." The woman said as she lightly touched my nose._

_"A nose? That's something she'll remember." The man laughed and the woman smiled._

_"She's perfect." The woman said as she took me in her arms. "My perfect Abbey Maria Stark."_

* * *

It was a perfect Saturday morning. Tony and Pepper were still asleep and I was happily munching on some cereal (Lucky Charms of course!) and watching Saturday morning cartoons. I laughed as Spongebob annoyed Squidward once again.

"Really? Spongebob? Isn't that just a tad inferior to your genius intellect?" Tony said from behind.

"It makes me laugh." It wasn't the best excuse, but I did find Spongebob hilarious.

"Yeah...you shouldn't be watching that." He said, taking the remote and flipping the channel to the news.

"Borrrrrrinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggg." I said as I quickly took the remote and turned it back.

"I am NOT going to watch a yellow sponge with buck teeth." Tony objected, trying to take the remote from my hand. I quickly jumped from the couch and moved away.

"Sure you are." I said with a mischievous grin, waving the remote around in triumph.

"JARVIS!" Tony yelled. "Change that channel please."

"JARVIS, don't you dare!" I said.

"I don't think I want to be part of this argument." JARVIS' voice said.

"You're no help at all." Tony said before looking at the remote in my hand. At that moment, I turned up the TV and Spongebob's laugh echoed throughout the room.

"You'd better change that channel or I'll make you." He warned.

"Come and get it." I teased. He lunged and I quickly dodged him.

"You're not very quick, are you?" I joked as he tried again. I was pretty fast. Always had been. I had to be quick to run and hide from the caretaker at the orphanage when I got in trouble.

"You're gonna regret that." He said. We circled around the couch. He was poised to run, but I was ready.

"What are you two doing?" Pepper's voice asked and I lost focus.

"Gotcha!" Tony jumped over the couch and pinned me on the ground, quickly wrestling the remote from my grip.

"Thanks Pepper!" Tony said as he got off the floor. Pepper was very confused.

"Not fair!" I whined.

"You should have paid more attention." Tony lectured as he changed the channel back to the news.

"So where do you want to go today?" Tony asked me after breakfast.

"Shouldn't we be asking Pepper?" I asked as I turned to her. She had come all this way to see us, after all.

"I've been here dozens of times. It's practically home away from home." Pepper replied.

"Come on, there has to be somewhere you've always wanted to see here." Tony urged.

"Hmmmm..." I thought hard. "Everywhere."

Everywhere indeed. We spent the whole day in New York doing whatever we wanted. We dwindled into a few shops and each time the store clerks would flip out because Tony Stark was in their shop. It was quite entertaining to watch their eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. The second we'd leave I'd look through the store window and see them absolutely fawning over him. I think Tony enjoyed the attention. We stopped by a diner for lunch. We were sitting there after ordering when a familiar face passed by.

"Steve?" I asked and he turned, surprised.

"Hi Abbey!" He said happily and he gave me a hug.

"Watch it." Tony warned and Pepper glared at him.

"Be nice." She mouthed and he pouted.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I see a lot more places than the gym, I assure you." He said and I laughed.

"I wouldn't have guessed," I said as I noticed the size of his muscles. He was the most buff guy I had ever seen.

"Excuse me, some of us are trying to eat." Tony said rudely and I gave him a glare.

"Shut up." I mouthed and Tony crossed his arms, again, pouting.

"Whatever." He grumbled.

"Would you like to join us?" Pepper said politely and Tony was even more annoyed.

"I don't want to interrupt..." I interjected Steve.

"No, no, you wouldn't be." I said.

"Then I'd love to." Steve sat next to me. Tony seemed annoyed, but he swallowed whatever comments he had or else take the wrath of Pepper and I.

"So, what are you out doing?" Steve asked us.

"We were just walking around, admiring New York." Pepper answered.

"It's a nice day to be out." Steve said, looking outside.

"It is." Pepper agreed. She smiled as she looked at me and Steve. I knew she approved of my choice. Now we just had to get Tony on the same page.

"Tony, how about going to Central Park?" Pepper suggested.

"Sure." Tony agreed.

"Do you have any other plans for today?" Pepper asked Steve and he shook his head. "Do you want to come with us?" Tony was obviously not impressed by this idea, but I saw out of the corner of my eye that she squeezed his hand tightly, clearly a warning not to say a word.

"Sounds great." Steve said, flashing that dazzling smile of his. I couldn't help but feel that Pepper had planned this. I sent her a text when Steve wasn't looking, giving her my thanks.

Her reply text read: "I called him yesterday and asked him to come. I've been wanting to meet him myself." I smiled at her. It would be our little secret.

We walked through the park for an hour, admiring the beautiful Spring day. The tourists crowded the park, but I barely noticed. I was a lover for nature despite my technological genius. Steve and I had sat down for a minute or two whilst Tony and Pepper walked a little farther away. I was looking up at the trees when I felt something warm touch my hand. My gaze landed on my hand and found that Steve's hand was on mine. Despite his big, muscular appearance, he looked quite nervous. I locked my fingers in his. When he realized what I had done he didn't seem so nervous anymore.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? We've got a whole park to explore!" Tony yelled to us and we got up, his fingers interlocking with mine.

* * *

**Too cute! That song that Abbey's father sings is the song in the book mentioned in Chapter Eight. I loved that book as a kid! I thought throwing in that dream would put Abbey in more touch with her parents. By the way, is everyone able to follow along with the P.O.V.'s? **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for reviewing! It has been a blast reading your reviews. You are all literally A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

It had been a long day. Steve had gone home and Tony, Pepper, and I had just come back home. My feet ached as I flopped myself on the couch.

"What a day." I exclaimed.

"You said it." Pepper agreed as she joined me.

"I really wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow." I said sadly. I knew she had to go back to run Stark Industries, but still...

"I wish I didn't have to either." She said, a little depressed.

"You know what would really make this evening a little less depressing?" Tony asked, leaning over the couch between us.

"I don't know. What?" I asked curiously.

"A birthday party!" Tony and Pepper yelled at the top of their lungs. I almost tipped backwards over the couch in surprise.

"Wh-what?" I stuttered and they both smiled.

"Congrats, kid. It's your nineteenth birthday!" Tony exclaimed. "Now, it's time for those birthday spankings I never got to give you."

"No, no, I think I'm good." I said as I quickly jumped off the couch.

"That's ok. I can give them to you later." Tony said mischievously as he wandered off into the kitchen.

"Somehow, I don't think I'm looking forward to that." I muttered to Pepper, who laughed.

"He's very excited." She told me.

"I can tell."

"He's been planning it for the past week. That's why I came down." Pepper explained.

"Thank you for coming down. There's no one else I would rather spend my first birthday at home with." I could tell she was touched by my saying that.

"And now the cake!" Tony exclaimed as he carried out a giant sheet cake. It was a pretty awesome cake, covered in blue and silver icing. There read on the cake: "Happy Nineteenth Birthday Abbey! And Welcome Home!" Nineteen lit candles surrounded the cake.

"It looks awesome." I said.

"I knew you'd like it. I also hope you like chocolate." Tony said.

"Duh. It's only the most awesome cake flavor!" I replied.

"Just like a Stark." He commented.

"Now it's time to make a wish." Pepper said.

My first birthday wish. I had never had a birthday. Heck, I never knew my own birthdate. No one really cared at the orphanage. As I looked at the cake, I thought of all that had happened in the past month. I had a family, friends even. I had gone from being a lonely student at MIT to a nineteen year-old with a family that loved me. I think my life-long wish had already been filled. But for my first birthday wish's sake, I decided to give it a whirl.

_I wish I had my own Iron Man suit._

I blew out the candles and smoke went flying.

"What did you wish for?" Tony asked curiously.

"A good wish is never revealed until after it happens." I said secretly.

"Good point." Tony said as he cut into the cake and pulled out a huge slice and handed it to me.

"Thank you both for doing this." I said after devouring the last bits of my slice.

"We wanted to do it." Pepper said.

Now I was the one who was touched. Never had anyone cared so much for me before.

"Present time!" Tony said. He was super excited about the whole ordeal. It was kind of amusing, actually.

"Oh goodness." I said, wondering what kind of gift one could receive from Tony Stark.

"I think you'll like it." Pepper assured me.

"This is from both of us." Tony said as he handed me small bag. I looked through the paper and found a jewelry box. I wasn't one for jewelry, but for my brother and practically sister, I would wear just about anything. I opened it up to reveal a bracelet. It was beautiful, but simple. There was a small charm with an 'S' on it in the middle. It had a small diamond in it, one that I admired. It put it on. It was perfect.

"Th-thank you." I told them.

"Do you like it?" Pepper asked. I could tell she had gotten this one.

"I love it." I told her. She beamed.

"And this one is from Mom and Dad." Tony said, pulling out another jewelry box.

"Mom and Dad?" I asked, very confused.

"Open it and you'll see." He urged me and I opened the box and gasped. It was a locket engraved with M.S. Maria Stark.

"Open the locket." Tony told me.

I gingerly took the locket in my fingers and my eyes swelled with tears as I saw the picture inside. It was a black and white photo of Mom, Dad, and Tony surrounding me as a baby.

"It's beautiful." I said and they both smiled.

"Allow me." Tony said as he took the locket and put it on me.

"Mom would be proud." He said as he admired it on me. "You look just like her." I couldn't help but feel prideful about that.

It was the best party I could have ever had. Surrounded by the two people that loved me the most in the world and eating the best chocolate cake, life couldn't get any better. But even though I was a genius, I could still be wrong.

* * *

It had been an hour or two after the party and Pepper had gone to bed. Tony was watching the tracing system and I was outside on the balcony watching New York and its city lights. It was an amazing sight watching everything lit up like it was.

"It's a beautiful sight at night." Tony snuck up behind me.

"Quite." I agreed as I looked back out at it again.

"You know your birthday isn't finished yet, right?" Tony said and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"Come on." He said as he walked inside and towards the elevator. I followed quickly at his heels. He pressed a button that went to the basement. Wait, the basement? What could be down there?

"I think you're going to like this." Tony said as we walked into the seemingly-empty basement. I looked around, wondering what he could possibly be up to.

"JARVIS, open her up." Tony ordered.

"Of course, sir." JARVIS responded. Right before my eyes, the basement walls opened up to reveal an army of Iron Man suits. I was amazed as I saw each model, something every Iron Man lover in the world dreamed about.

"Come." Tony said, practically dragging me over to a suit. It was different from the others. It was not the typical red and gold look, but a shiny blue and silver. It was impressive.

"It's amazing." I said and Tony smiled.

"It's yours." I looked to him, my eyes wide.

"You're kidding." I stated and he shook his head. Dang, I was good at this birthday-wish thing!

"I didn't want to give you this in front of Pepper. She might kill me if she found out just yet." I could see the point of his reasoning, with Pepper thinking it would be dangerous and all that.

"You see the 'S' charm on your bracelet." He pointed to the charm. I nodded.

"Press it and it can call the suit anytime you need it." Leave it to my brother to lock in a safety feature.

"I still can't believe it." I said as I touched the armor, cool and smooth to the touch.

"Want to take it for a test run?"

"How could I say no?" I obliged.

The armor fit perfectly. My brother had outdone himself. I don't even know when he had the time to make this thing.

"Does everything fit alright?" JARVIS asked me.

"Fit as a fiddle." I answered as I moved the suit back and forth. It was just as flexible as I was, which was surprising since I was surrounded by metal.

"Do you like it?" Tony asked, his face appearing on a screen on the upper right corner of the helmet. He was so eager for me to love this thing. It was, after all, a part of the family business.

"Love it!" I exclaimed.

"What do you say we give it a test run?" He suggested.

"You mean fly?"

"Duh!" He said in exasperation.

"Let's do it." I said. There was another compartment that opened the basement to the outside. I could feel my feet lift off from the floor and I looked down and was amazed at the fact that I was in the air.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Tony said. Of course, he was doing back flips in the air.

"Show off." I said. I was determined to best him.

"Well, if you haven't noticed that already..."

"True." I agreed.

I did a back flip in the air. I felt so light and it was so easy to maneuver it.

"Let's just take it slow..." I cut him off by zooming out into the open air. I laughed with joy as I soared into the sky. I could see the buildings becoming tinier below me.

"Hold up there turbo!" My brother shouted behind me.

"What? Afraid you won't be able to catch up?" I teased.

"Someone's becoming a little too cocky for their suit." Tony said.

"Look who's talking." I pointed out.

"You want to see how fast these can go?" He said. I nodded.

"I'll race ya." I said competitively.

"First one to the bridge is a rotten egg!" Tony yelled as he took off on a head start. I quickly pursued, dodging buildings effortlessly. I was at his heels as we made it halfway, the bridge in sight.

"I'm coming up on your tail!" I yelled and he looked at me through the screen.

"But you're not winning!" He egged me on.

"Not for long." I said and with a burst of energy, I swerved ahead. Tony was close behind, practically breathing down my neck. We were so close to the bridge, I could taste the victory. It was then that Tony cut me off and reached the bridge.

"Gotcha!" He said as we swerved to a stop. "You didn't think I'd actually let you win, did you?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll win next time." I assured him.

"Yeah, yeah." He didn't seem at all threatened. "Want to call it a night?"

"No way!" I was too excited to even think about catching any sleep that night.

"Another race then?" He asked. I nodded and we were off again. This was officially the coolest day ever.

* * *

**I thought an Iron Man suit should make its appearance in this chapter! How many of you would like one of those for your birthday? I know I would!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Another session of writing bites the dust! This is mostly Steve-Abbey bonding time because I just love fluff! Enjoy everyone! Don't forget to R&R!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Pepper had just had her bags taken out to the cab and we were saying our last goodbyes before she went back home. She would be back in a few weeks, but it still felt sad having her go.

"You know, I heard the strangest thing last night." Pepper said. "Tony's friend Rhodey called me and said Iron Man was flying around town..."

"Well, I may have wanted to go on a small flight." Tony cut in.

"There were two." Pepper said as she looked at me. I smiled innocently.

"I wonder who that could have been." I said. It was pretty useless, but I tried to keep up the act anyway.

"Ummm hmmm." Pepper said sternly as she looked at Tony with a look that could kill.

"I was going to tell you eventually." Tony said. His look imitated a child that had just gotten caught in the cookie jar. "It was her birthday after all."

"I knew it was coming eventually." Pepper admitted. "Just be careful." She said as she gave me that motherly gaze.

"I will. I've got the best teacher, remember?" She couldn't argue with that.

"Yeah, that's right hon." Tony said, putting his arm on my shoulder. "I've got this covered."

"No dangerous stunts." Pepper was lecturing us like we were a couple of children, which we kind of were.

"Alright." Tony gave in before giving her a kiss goodbye. "Love you."

"Love you too." She said and she gave me one final hug. After she got into the cab and left, we looked at one another.

"Want to go do a dangerous stunt?" I asked mischievously. Tony nodded.

"Of course."

We dashed off to the suits and it was on.

* * *

"No way!" Steve said as we walked down the sidewalks of New York.

"Yes! The meaning of life is forty-two!" I exclaimed and he rolled his eyes.

"I sincerely doubt that a number is the purpose of our existence." Steve contemplated.

"Everyone's entitled to their own opinions." I said in an 'agree to disagree' manner, although I didn't actually believe the true meaning of life was 42. That was ludicrous.

"Anyway...I know what I want to do today." Steve said. It was his turn to pick where our date would be and we had been debating it for the last half hour. I was beginning to think that our date would be about trying to pick where we would have our date. Make sense? Not at all!

"Where?" I asked curiously.

"The zoo." He answered.

The zoo? I loved the zoo!

"Let's go!" I said and we were off.

"Black with white stripes." Steve argued.

"No. White with black stripes." I countered.

"Nuh uh!" Steve said.

"Yeah huh!" We were acting like a couple of children as we argued over the color configuration of the zebra standing before us. The zebra was staring in fascination at us as if we were the ones standing in the cage.

"Agree to disagree?" Steve offered, offering out his hand. I took it and we shook.

"Agreed." I said and we laughed at our own foolishness.

"So, where do you want to go next?" I asked him as we looked at the map of the zoo, which was quite large.

"It says we can feed the giraffes. I've never done that before." Steve said. So we headed off to the giraffes. I got some crackers at a deck that had been made to feed the giraffes and sure enough, one was out and watching us with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Just hold out the cracker and let him take it." I told him as I handed him the cracker. As soon as Steve held it out, the giraffes tongue came out like a snake and snatched it from him.

"Gross." Steve said as the giraffe left a bit of saliva on his hand. As soon as he turned around though, the giraffe, expecting another cracker, licked him on the back of the neck. Steve's face turned to disgust and I laughed.

"Good job, buddy!" I said, handing the giraffe another cracker. He took it and munched on it happily.

"Here, have some." Steve said, swiping a bit of the saliva and wiping it on my cheek. Ewwww! Giraffe slobber! Now it was Steve's turn to laugh.

"Jerk!" I said, which only resulted in more laughter on his part.

"You made it so easy!" He said as he took my hand and we continued on our trek. We had been walking a while when I heard Steve's stomach growl.

"I think your super-soldier metabolism is kicking in." I told him.

"What's there to eat around here?" He asked.

"What about some animal crackers?" I suggested.

"Sounds perfect." He said. The next thing I knew, we were sitting on a bench shouting out the names of our animals we were eating.

"Turtle!" I said as I popped one in my mouth.

"Hippo." Steve said, throwing one up and catching it ever-so-gracefully in his mouth.

"Nicely done." I commented and he nodded.

"Thanks."

"This needs to go on Facebook." I said and Steve furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's Facebook?" He asked, very confused.

"Social media network." I said and he he gave me a puzzled look. I had managed to forget that Facebook was a whole other world to him.

"Just smile." I told him and he did as I held up the animal crackers and gave my biggest smile. The picture looked great and I posted it on Facebook.

"That looks good." Steve said as he looked at the picture on my phone and the website on it curiously. There was immediately one like. Tony. Then came the comment: "The zoo, eh? Maybe Cap could fit in with the monkeys." I laughed and Steve narrowed his eyes.

"Come on, that's funny!" I said and he sighed.

"All in good fun." He admitted and started to laugh himself.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"I think he'd fit in well with the lions." He said with a joking grin. I smacked him playfully on the arm.

"Steve!" I exclaimed and he laughed.

"It was my turn to joke around." He replied and I rolled my eyes.

After we were done at the zoo, we were walking back to the tower.

"I think we need to do a movie night." I said aloud.

"What kind of movie should we watch?" He asked.

"Have you ever seen a Disney film?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"I've seen Snow White, but I'm guessing that's a bit old-fashioned." He replied.

"I love that movie!" I told him. "Want to watch it again?"

"I'd like that." He responded. I think he was grateful the world hadn't gotten so wrapped up in the future that it had forgotten the past. And to be quite honest, I was glad that the past had caught up with us with Steve here. Maybe what the world needed was a little bit of old-fashioned people like himself.

* * *

"You two in a dark room alone? I don't think so. I'm joining you!" Tony said as I told him the plans for tonight. Bruce was hanging out and watching the news whilst we talked.

"Tony!" I exclaimed. "You're being ridiculous!"

"Am not." Tony folded his arms. "I know what happens when you watch a movie together alone with someone!"

"What?" I asked suspiciously. "What could we possibly do that's so terrible?" He was silent for a moment and he broke eye contact for a second while he responded.

"Kiss." My jaw dropped in complete disbelief. But I didn't have to say anything because Bruce spoke up.

"Really Tony? Have you lost your mind?" Tony looked at him with this sort of 'duh' look on his face.

"She's my sister. I'm not going to let that crazy old man kiss her!" My brother had officially gone off the deep end.

"Tony, I love you, but you're driving me nuts!" I exclaimed.

"I'm watching the movie with you and you can't stop me." Tony said all authoritative-like. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed the only person I knew who could solve this.

"Who are you calling?" Tony asked as a person answered my phone call.

"Hi Pepper." I said and it was Tony's jaw that dropped this time. I could see Bruce smiling as I continued. "Tony's trying to intrude on my date with Steve tonight."

"What's he trying to do?" Pepper asked with a sigh. I don't know how she put up with him sometimes. After I explained the situation, she said, "Put Tony on the phone." I gladly handed him the phone and Tony got an earful.

"Yes, I know I can trust her. It's him I worry about." Tony said. There was some more squabbling on the phone and Tony sighed. "Fine. Love you." He hung up the phone and handed it back to me.

"I hope you're happy." He said as he pouted on the couch.

"Tony." I said with my best puppy-dog face I could muster as I hugged him around the neck. "I'll be good. I promise." He looked at me and I knew his heart melted. I had him wrapped around my little finger.

"Alright." He mumbled. I gave him a small sisterly peck on the cheek for being a good big brother.

"What about we get some schwarma tonight?" Bruce suggested. What was it with this schwarma obsession?! Tony seemed to like the idea.

"I'd like that." He replied. I gave Bruce a silent 'thank you' and he winked.

"Just don't let us find you making out. I can't hold him back from Steve then."

"Oh don't worry. I won't." I reassured him.

* * *

I brought in the popcorn before the movie started in the main room of the tower. The lights were dimmed and the television screen lit up, the lights of New York City creating a mesmerizing background during the show. Snow White appeared on the screen and for a while, everything was pretty calm. About the middle of the movie though, I felt an arm creeping its way across my shoulder. I blushed as the hand rested on my shoulder. Steve kept looking at the screen, but I could tell that he was nervous. I silently and slowly moved in and rested my head on his shoulder. His muscles, once tense, now eased up and relaxed. To be honest, the rest of the time my thoughts weren't on the movie. And after glancing up at Steve a few times, I knew he wasn't either because he kept glancing over at me.

As the Prince kissed Snow White and they rode off into the sunset, I felt the overwhelming desire to do the thing my brother dreaded us doing. And by the look on Steve's face, he felt the same way too. As the movie turned off, I looked into Steve's eyes in the dim lights and he looked into mine. We both leaned in and...

"We're back!" Tony's voice thundered and the lights turned on, blinding both of us. I glared at Tony, but he ignored it. Bruce walked in quietly behind him.

"Look's like the movie just ended." Tony said, a smile plastered on his face. "Perfect timing, I'd say."

"Aren't you two a little early?" I asked as I looked to Bruce who shrugged his shoulders.

"I couldn't keep him detained." He said wearily. "He scarfed down his food like it was his last meal and dragged me back here."

"I'm gonna kill him." I said but Steve held me back.

"Let it go. We'll have other chances." He gave me that dazzling smile of his with a bit of mischief in his eyes.

"Another time." I said. "But until then..." I gave him a small peck on the cheek with Tony clearly in sight. Steve looked like he was walking on air as he exited through the elevator doors, leaving me grinning at Tony who, in frustration, went to his room. Bruce and I were rolling with laughter as he left.

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How do you like them apples, Tony? Sorry, I heard that phrase a few days ago and I just had to say it! Please tell me what you all think! Have a great day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Who's ready for another chapter? I sure am! In response to one person's review from the last chapter, I realize I do need to put more of Clint and Natasha in this story. I've wanted to, but I just didn't know how. But I think I have a way! I hope you all like!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"I think it's wise to invest in some self defense training." Tony told me. "With these crazy Russian terrorists running around, I really don't want you to be left completely helpless."

"Is Steve going to do it?" I asked. Inwardly, the thought made me giddy. Could you have a romantic relationship with your trainer?

"Oh no." Tony said with a smirk, knowing the good Captain would have no part in such training.

"Then who?" I asked.

"Funny you should ask ." Natasha's voice echoed through the room as she and Clint walked through the elevator doors.

"You chose master assassins to train me?" I asked in disbelief. "No offense guys." I said before they both gave me shrug.

"None taken." Natasha said.

"Don't worry, we'll try not to kill you on the first day." Clint said with a smirk. I couldn't even tell if he was serious. That was definitely a bad sign.

"I thought you wanted me to live." I said to Tony.

"I do. That's why I'm doing this." Tony told me and I sighed. If it made him happy, I suppose I could do it.

"Alright. I'm in." I said and the two assassins smiled.

"Let's begin." Natasha said as she quickly flipped me and I landed on the couch in the main room.

"Hey!" I said in disbelief as I got up.

"You've got to be quick." She told me in a teacher-like tone. Oh nuts. What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so sore. Clint and Natasha had trained me for three hours that day and I felt as if my limbs were going to fall off. I had been flipped, punched, and beaten to the point of exhaustion. Both of them had assured me I was doing great for a first-timer, but that didn't mend my wounds.

"How did the first day of practice go?" Tony asked me as he sat in a chair opposite from me. I glared at him and he chuckled.

"That bad, eh? I didn't think they'd go easy on you." Gee, thanks a lot for that information big bro!_  
_

"Ouch. That looks bad." He commented as he saw a nasty bruise on my shin.

"Not as bad as it feels." I retorted. I kept clinging to the thought of being able to flip him when I got better. Yes, that eased my pain bunches.

* * *

The next few training sessions came and went without much progress. Clint had started me on a strict upper-body workout and Natasha had been teaching me some self-defense moves. Believe me, when you have two master assassins as your trainers, it's intense.

"Come on, kid. My grandmother has more strength in her, God rest her soul." Clint said as I made it to twenty push-ups. I was covered in sweat and my arms were starting to shake.

"Gee, thanks!" I said flatly as I managed to crank out another push-up.

"Thanks. Nat says I'm a real motivator!" Clint grinned.

"Sure." I replied sarcastically with another push-up.

"I think you're actually getting better." Clint told me as he sat on the couch and rested his feet on my back.

"Hey! I'm not a footrest!" I objected and he scoffed.

"You might as well serve some purpose while you're down there." Clint said as he grabbed a magazine. You've got to be kidding me!

"Really, Clint? A footrest?" Natasha's voice said as she joined in on the action.

"Hey, if the guy from the _Mask of Zorro_ can do it, so can I." Clint said as he looked at me. "Keep going. You're doing great."

"Easy for you to say." I spat.

"She's actually doing better today." He said to Natasha.

"Good. She'll be all warmed up for self-defense with me in five minutes." Natasha said with a devilish grin. My life couldn't get any worse.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Steve's voice reached my ears and I flopped on the floor. I take that back. My life could get worse. A _lot _worse. The idea of Steve seeing me drenched in sweat was not exactly how I wanted this day to go.

"Hey footrest, you've still got four minutes! Keep going!" Clint ordered. Fearing the wrath of this guy, I kept going, all the while keeping in on the conversation.

"Tony told me about the training. How's it coming?" Steve asked as I felt his eyes on me.

"Do you really need to ask to get an answer?" I said and they all laughed at me.

"Times up! Time for self-defense." Natasha told me and I flopped down on the floor. My arms felt limp.

"Ah man! I lost my footrest!" Clint said rather sadly and I glared at him.

"Oh I'm so sorry for your loss." I told him. About that time, Natasha charged at me and I dodged just in time for her to land on Clint. They both looked at me in surprise. I imagined my face looked just like theirs, only sweatier.

"Where did that come from, kid?" Clint asked as Natasha pushed herself off of him.

"No idea." I said, "But that felt awesome!"

"Let's try that again." Natasha said, a new interest forming in her mind. She lunged at me again. I ducked and swerved behind her. Huh. Maybe I could do this after all. She tried again and not only did I swerve behind her, but I kicked her feet out from under her, just like she had taught me. Clint had this 'oh-snap' look on his face like I had just done something horrifyingly-terrible.

"Whoops." I said as she gave me a deathly glare.

"You better run." Steve told me.

"I don't think running's going to get me out of this." I said as she started to come towards me. I feared the worst.

"Nicely done." She commented, a small spark of admiration glinting in her eyes. But that compliment couldn't have prepared me for the rest of practice. Steve kept right on watching, leaving me the humiliation of having him see me get my butt get whooped continuously. I hoped he didn't think I was the worst student he'd ever seen. But when practice was over, I breathed a sigh of relief. Steve had gone to the kitchen to get something to eat.

"You did better today, but be sure to work on your footwork. You're still leaning heavy on your right foot, making it easier to knock you down." Natasha told me and I nodded.

"I'll be sure of that." I replied as she walked off to get something to drink. Clint was watching as she walked away.

"That took a lot of guts to do what you did at the beginning of practice." Clint told me.

"I thought she was going to kill me." I said and he chuckled.

"She must have been impressed by you for her to give you a compliment. She doesn't give those out unless she really likes a person." Clint explained. "She's a pretty reserved person."

"Is that what you love about her?" I asked and Clint raised an eyebrow. It wasn't hard to read in-between the line with those two. They may not show it much, but they loved each other.

"That easy, eh?" He asked and I nodded. "Yeah, it is." He admitted to my question.

"Does she...?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. Nat and I...we've been together. We just haven't announced it formally." It was then that the red-headed assassin reappeared, cutting the conversation short.

"Time to go." She told Clint and he followed her to the elevator. She gave me a friendly smile, which was rare in the time I'd known her. "See you tomorrow. Remember what I said about that right foot."

"Will do!" I said as they left.

"They gone?" Steve asked and I nodded. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been through the ringer." I said and he laughed.

"Before the serum when I was in training as a soldier, we had to go through some intense training. Trust me, I know the feeling." He assured me.

"But your commanding officer wasn't a master assassin." I said as I hobbled over to the couch. I had to admit though, I was getting used to the training.

"At least you're giving them something to do. I hear that staying in New York is their mission until those Russian terrorists are found." Steve explained.

"Glad I could give them something to kick around." I joked.

"You are pretty good." Steve said. "Better than a lot of other people I've seen."

"You're just saying that because I'm your girlfriend."

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!" I retorted.

"What's all this 'nuh uh, uh huh' stuff about?" Bruce asked, appearing from who knows where.

"Oh nothing." I said.

"Get your daily butt kicking today?" He asked with a smirk. Steve laughed and I smacked him.

"Ow!" Steve said.

"You deserve that! And I'm going to get you too, Bruce!" I told him. "I knocked down Natasha today."

"Impressive. I guess I'd better watch out." Bruce said, although he knew I'd never hurt him.

"Well, Tony better look out for himself after interrupting our date."

"I'll be sure to send him the message." Bruce said. "Actually," he spoke up, "how would you like to get him back tomorrow?"

"What do you have in mind?" I asked curiously. The look in Bruce's eyes revealed the devious thoughts that were swimming in his brain and it made me excited. What could this science genius have in mind?

* * *

"So are we all clear on the plan?" I asked the group the next day after practice. Clint and Natasha had gotten in on the action somehow and they were quite excited about it themselves.

"We got the stuff." Natasha said, pulling out two tobasco bottles.

"Perfect." I said, setting them in the fridge. Now to lure the fish with some bait.

"You know what to do?" I asked Clint and he nodded. "And you'll introduce our challenge, Bruce?" Bruce nodded with evil grin.

"Of course." He told me. He was the evil genius behind this plan, which was odd since he was so quiet and laid back. I liked this side of Bruce.

"And Steve, well, you know what to do." I said.

"Cheer you on and keep the video camera running." He responded as he eyed a video camera not too far off watching the whole event. The excitement was evident in his eyes, as it was in everyone else's. This was probably the most fun they'd had in a while.

"Alright, he should be here any..." That's when the elevator doors opened and Tony walked in.

"Hey guys!" He said as he walked towards the fridge and grabbed a drink. "What's up?"

"Just hanging out." I told him innocently. He didn't suspect a thing.

"So, as I was saying, you're doing great in practice." Clint said to me. "You just need to keep more focus on your opponent."

"Is she focusing more on a certain spectator than the game?" Tony asked as he eyed Steve.

"No, just losing focus because of a loud noise or something. Stuff like that." Tony nodded in understanding.

"But keep that in mind and you'll be sure to kick anyone's butt. Including your brother's." Clint winked at me, giving me the signal to come in.

"I can already do that." I told him.

"No way!" Tony objected. He was taking the bait.

"Oh yeah?" I said competitively. "Prove it."

Now he was stumped. How was he going to prove that?

"I think I know." Bruce cut in.

"What would you suggest, bud?" Tony asked the scientist curiously.

"Only to gulp down one of the hottest compliments known to man." Bruce said, walking calmly over to the fridge and pulling out the two bottles of tobasco.

"I don't know..." I said, pretending to be leery of the stuff.

"What? Afraid of a little competition?" Tony teased as he grabbed a bottle.

"N-no." I stammered as I took the other bottle. The bottle had a small, indistinguishable 'x' on it. Just the one I needed.

"First one to chug down all of their bottle first wins." Bruce ordered and we nodded. We raised the glass to our lips and waited for the signal. "Go!" Bruce shouted and we were off, the liquid moving quickly past my mouth and down my throat. I was halfway through my bottle when I noticed Tony's face turning tomato red. I kept chugging, hoping I wasn't going to burst out laughing before it was over.

"Come on, Abbey! Keep going!" Steve shouted.

"Beat her, Tony, beat her!" Bruce and Clint shouted in unison. Natasha kept a straight face, but her eyes revealed her amusement. I looked back to Tony as he suddenly took the glass away from his mouth and started sputtering and hacking.

"Keep going!" Bruce cheered.

"No more." Tony managed to cough out before he made a mad dash to the sink, taking in as much water as he could on his burning tongue. I, on the other hand, finished my bottle, cool as a cucumber. I set the empty glass down with triumph.

"What just happened?" He asked as he looked to me and the group, which was now smiling.

"Never interrupt my date." I told him as I showed him the empty bottle. "Or else you'll get burned!" The group roared with laughter at the irony and realization appeared on Tony's face.

"Yours was filled with tomato juice." He said with surprise and I nodded.

"Yep. Thank our pal, Bruce. He's quite the prankster." I said with a satisfied smirk.

"Traitor." Tony mumbled.

"You deserved it." Bruce reminded him.

"And besides, it gave us something to do." Clint said.

"I'm really getting into this technology thing too." Steve said as he showed the hidden video camera.

"I think it's Facebook worthy, myself." I commented.

"No you don't!" Tony replied as he ran for the camera. I quickly blocked him.

"Don't worry, we won't post it on Facebook." I assured him and he seemed a bit relieved.

"But the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be glad to watch it." Natasha said evilly as she took the camera.

"You're all mean." Tony said as he got a glass and filled it with water.

"Poor brother." I said as I gave him a small hug.

"Yeah, yeah. You'd better watch your back from now on." He warned playfully.

"And I'll be ready." I told him confidentely. Today had been awesome. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a kiss from Steve.

* * *

**I cannot personally take credit for the practical joke. It was from the movie _Fireproof_. It is a great movie by the way! And did anyone catch the _Captain America: The First Avenger_ line by Clint? Hint: Peggy said it as the soldiers were doing push-ups. I hope you all enjoyed the revenge on Tony! Please tell me what you all think. I've been enjoying reading all of your reviews. You are all AWESOME! **


	13. Chapter 13

**First, I just wanted to say thank you everyone for all of the reviews that I have gotten! I can't believe I have 45 reviews already. I never thought I would get this many. So again, THANK YOU! Second, everyone get ready! This is the first chapter with Steve's P.O.V.! Can you just feel the excitement? I'm getting all tingly just thinking about it! I bet you all want to know what Cap's thinking is after all this time! And last but not least, I put in a lovely surprise at the end of this chapter. But you have to read the whole chapter first to really love it! Can't you just feel the suspense? Be sure to tell me how you all feel at the end of it!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

It had been nearly a week since the team and I had pranked Tony. And I had to say, we were closer than ever. Clint and Natasha were still training me, but the soreness had gone and I felt physically better than I had before. Bruce and Tony were hanging out most of the day watching the tracing system for any hits, although Tony kept trying to get Bruce back for being the evil mastermind behind the tobasco incident. But in all actuality, Steve in I were spending a lot of our time together more than anything else. Today, for instance, I was training in the gym with him. Sort of a date-workout kind of thing.

"Hit it!" Steve commanded and I punched the bag as hard as a I could. The bag swung slowly back and forth. Steve had hit it dozens of times and it had swung over and hit me to the ground. My punches could barely get it to move.

"Lame." I said as it came to a stop.

"No problem." Steve told me as he punched the bag again it flew forward and back again and Steve caught it.

"Show off." I mumbled.

"Hey, I'm a super soldier. It's in my blood." He said jokingly.

"Whatever." I replied.

"Give me one of those combos I showed you." Steve said and I quickly pulled off a combo.

"Nicely done. You're quick with some added force. I wouldn't want to mess with you in a fight." He complimented.

"Nor I you." I agreed. I was ready to start in on the bag again when he stopped me.

"I've got something for you." He said as he walked over to some of the benches in the gym. I followed curiously behind him and he pulled out a box wrapped in blue wrapping paper and a silver bow.

"What is this?" I asked, very confused.

"Just something special." He said cryptically.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Guess."

"Hmmm...animal crackers." I said.

"No." He responded flatly.

"A pony." I joked.

"Really?"

"What about a..."

"Just open it!" He exclaimed and I laughed as I took off the bow and wrapping paper. I opened the box and found a beautiful silk midnight blue dress. I wasn't one for dressing up, but this was gorgeous. I took it out of its box and it flowed out.

"This is...beautiful!" My fingers ran over the material. It reminded me of the dresses that elegant women would wear to a ball. I couldn't believe I was holding one in my hands.

"Pepper helped me pick it out." Steve explained. "You're going to need it."

"What do you mean?" I asked and he whipped out two tickets.

"We're going to dinner and a show, the old fashioned way!" He said with grin.

"I...I don't know what to say." I was ecstatic.

"Just say yes." He replied. In response, I gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"Absolutely." I said. By the twinkle in his eye, I knew his day had been made.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

"So I hear someone has a date." Bruce said as we were sitting on the couch.

"You heard right." I replied. Obviously word had spread fast. Clint and Natasha had found out and needless to say, Clint was calling us 'goobersmooches' at training. Natasha just gave me this look that said she saw it coming.

"Where's he taking you?" He asked.

"Some fancy restaurant in town. I can't exactly remember the name. It's French, I think."

"La Grenouille." Tony answered.

"How did you know?" I asked in surprise.

"I may have given him a few suggestions." He gave me a wink. So Tony was part of this whole scheme! But it made me happy to know he was warming up the idea of me and Steve in a relationship.

"He's also taking me to a show. It's a surprise, I guess." Tony didn't even know what show it was.

"It'll be good, I'm sure. Pepper gave him all the details." Tony reassured me. Knowing Pepper, the night would be perfect.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

Steve was standing in the main room, dressed in a black tux. He held a red rose in his hand. For one who was so old-school, he was quite the romantic.

"Take good care of her." I told him. It was both a warning and that protective side of me I couldn't let go of. I knew Steve would take care of her, but I was still her big brother.

"I will." Steve assured me. "And thanks for everything." I gave him a respectful nod and it was then that my sister came out.

She was stunning. As she gracefully entered the room I could see how grown up she was. She was no longer the baby sister I had held in my arms almost twenty years ago, but a beautiful woman. Mom and Dad would be proud. Her hair was done up in curls and the blue dress Pepper had picked out accentuated her curves perfectly. I could see why Steve was so drawn to her.

"Have fun tonight." I told her as I gave her a small peck on the cheek. She gave a me smile that lit up the room.

"I will." She said as she looked to Steve. He gave her this goofy grin that showed his nervousness and excitement. I hoped he knew how lucky he was to have a woman like that.

"May I escort you, ma'am?" He asked as he held out his arm and she graciously accepted it.

"I'd be honored, Captain." She said and they walked through the elevator door and disappeared from sight.

"You did good, Tony." Bruce said as he walked out of the kitchen and patted my shoulder. He had been watching the whole scene.

"When did she grow up?" I asked as I kept staring at the closed elevator doors.

"When you least expected it." He said with a small smile. "Now, you promised me we'd go get some New York style pizza."

"Yeah." I agreed. And with that, we left and I had a great time with my friend, knowing my sister was in good hands.

* * *

_Steve's P.O.V._

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hair, the dress, but most of all, her eyes. Those warm brown eyes had melted my heart. That's what had drawn me to her when we first met. I still laughed at remembering my own clumsiness that day. But I was so grateful for my imperfections because it had led to the most perfect woman on God's green earth.

Without even thinking before we got in the car, I handed the rose to her and lightly kissed her hand. Inwardly, I was screaming how stupid I was. How cheesy was that? In the 1940s, sure. But in the 21st century? Was that even a thing? She looked at me and I knew I had somehow done the right thing. She stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed my cheek and got in the car.

My heart was pumping furiously and my nerves were racing as she sat in the car next to me. What if the night wasn't as wonderful as as she hoped it would be? What if I couldn't live up to her expectations? Sure, I was a super-soldier and an Avenger, but next to her, that didn't matter.

Tony had called in a limo to take us to the French restaurant, although I still couldn't pronounce its name. I had offered to pay for everything, but Tony had insisted.

_"Think of it as an apology of sorts."_ Tony had told me. I had begrudgingly accepted.

We arrived at the restaurant and I opened the door for her. As we walked in, every eye was on us, or rather, on her. Our waiter even seemed struck by her beauty. We sat down and I finally broke the silence.

"You look beautiful." I managed to say. But beautiful was by far an understatement.

"Thank you." Abbey blushed. I wouldn't admit it, but I adored it when her cheeks would light up that rose-red color. "You don't look too bad yourself handsome." It was my turn to turn red. I, however, probably looked more like a tomato than a rose.

"Pepper picked out a great restaurant." I said, admiring all of the waiters in fancy uniforms, the flowers, the wine glasses. I wasn't the fancy type, but for her, I'd do anything.

"She did." She said as she looked around as well. "I've never been to a place this fancy."

"Neither have I." I admitted and she emitted a small laugh.

"Two peas in a pod." She commented and I chuckled.

"Yes. Yes we are." I agreed.

The dinner went by well with no clumsiness on my part. I was surprised I hadn't knocked over a single wine glass. Luck was definitely on my side tonight. As we finished dinner, we headed out to the show. We were near the front, the best seats in the house thanks to Tony. The lights dimmed and the show began. But my eyes weren't on the show. They were on her.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

The night had been nothing short of amazing. The dinner, the show, but most of all, Steve. When I had first come out and seen him in my dress, he was the most dashing man I had ever laid eyes on. I didn't know how I had managed not to trip or fall over anything throughout the night, especially in heels. It was nothing short of luck.

As Steve and I got out of the limo to drop me off, I looked into his eyes again. They were still the same dazzling eyes I had seen at the diner only a short time ago. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"Tonight was wonderful." I said.

"You were wonderful." He said with complete adoration. _  
_

There was a moment when our eyes locked again. It was like in those old movies where time seems to stand still and all the actors can see are each other. But this wasn't just a movie. It was real. He started to lean in and so did I. Our lips met and everything inside me seemed to explode. I tried to keep calm as we parted, but everything inside me felt on fire. I felt my cheeks flush deep red.

"Ummm..." Steve rubbed the back of his neck. His face had turned into a light pink color. "Goodnight, Abbey."

"Goodnight." I said with one last smile before I headed upstairs. This was undoubtedly the best night of my life.

* * *

**I LOVED writing this chapter! I hope you all loved it too! Please review!  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Good day, fellow readers! Thank you all for reviewing on the last chapter! This is just a short filler before the next chapter. I've got some major stuff coming up in this story, so be on your toes!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Tony's P.O.V._

Bruce and I were sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee when Abbey came out of her room that morning. All smiles. I would have to check the security cameras later to get in on all the action.

"Someone's certainly in a good mood this morning." Bruce commented.

"No reason not to be." She replied, grabbing an apple and taking a bite out of it.

"I'm guessing the date went well?" I assumed and she nodded.

"It was perfect." She said as she sat down beside me.

"And Steve?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"The perfect gentleman."

_Yeah, you'd definitely better check the cameras later._

"Did you find anything yet?" She asked, referring to the tracing system.

"Nothing." Said Bruce in frustration. "I have no idea how they're avoiding us."

"Even with all of our updates, nothing." I said grimly.

It was then that elevator doors opened and Clint and Natasha walked in.

"Anything?" They asked in unison and I shook my head.

"Just like I was telling Abbey, nothing."

"How was the date last night?" Clint asked with a smirk. Wait, why was he smirking? Did he know something?

"Nothing short of amazing." Abbey replied with the same smile.

"By the way, Nat, you owe me twenty bucks." Clint said as he looked to Natasha who glared at him.

"What's the occasion?" Abbey asked the two assassins.

"We may have had a small bet about when Steve would finally man up and kiss you." Clint said with a laugh.

"What?!" I yelled.

"Honestly, Tony, you didn't see that coming?" Natasha asked with a pleasant grin. "And I thought you were a genius."

I tried to calm down. I knew this was coming, right? The up-scale restaurant, the fancy attire, the rose. But why was I still freaking out?

"How did you..." Abbey started.

"We hacked into the security cameras." Clint answered rather proudly.

"Hey!" I protested.

"What? It's not like you haven't done it to us before." Natasha said, referring to my time on the Helicarrier before the battle at New York. JARVIS had gained all information from S.H.I.E.D. by breaking into their system.

"Whatever." I said as I gulped down the rest of my coffee.

"I shouldn't be so surprised." Abbey said. "Yet, I am that you all had a bet going on!"

"Yeah. All the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were in on it, even Director Fury." Clint told us.

"Don't tell me they were all watching." Abbey moaned.

"Hey, a show's a show." Clint said with a wink as Natasha unhappily handed him twenty dollars.

"I'll win next time." Natasha warned him.

"You wish." He cantered as he stuck the money in his pocket. "See you all later. I'm off to spend twenty bucks."

It was then that the elevator doors opened and Steve walked in.

"Hey, Steve!" Clint was all smiley now. "Thanks man." Steve raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"For what?"

"You'll find out sooner or later." Clint said, chuckling as he sauntered out the door.

"I'll get him back later." Abbey said as she narrowed her gaze on the happy-go-lucky S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"Oh I'd love to help you with that." Natasha said.

"What would you suggest?" Abbey asked.

After we had debriefed the Captain on the situation, everyone wanted in. We all had a few inputs, each suggestion pretty genius. But eventually, we came up with a plan.

"So, Natasha, you'll call him in and the second he comes through those elevator doors, we blast him!" I confirmed the team mission and we all nodded as we held our water guns.

"Clint, we need you at Stark Towers. They found something on the tracing system." Natasha said on the phone and hung up. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Great." I said. I had always wondered what it would be like to shoot something at the master assassin. Now I would get to find out.

"Agent Barton has arrived Sir." JARVIS warned us a minute later.

"Send him in." I said evilly. We all aimed at the door and as his foot stepped through the elevator, we all fired. There was a flurry of water and after we had all had our fill, we saw a drenched Barton. He was both shocked and furious.

"What was that for?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"As if you don't know." Abbey said with a devilish grin.

"You are so..." Natasha cut him off with another spit of water.

"I really hope you spent that twenty dollars and it's not in your pocket." She told him.

"That will teach you not to spy on us!" Abbey cried.

"I'll get all of you back, one way or another." Clint threatened. I almost kind of regretted squirting water at him. It could only mean trouble for future pranks to come.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

"Hi-yah!" I screeched as I hit the punching bag again.

"Nice one, but kill the hi-yah business. You aren't much of a karate master." Steve told me and I laughed.

"Alright, Mr. Miyagi, but I can still kick your butt with some sweet self-defense moves." I replied. I had been training with Clint and Natasha for several weeks now and I felt better than ever. I was knocking Natasha down more often than not and Clint's upper-body workouts were getting easier. I could do fifty push-ups in a row without falling!

"Oh yeah?" Steve asked with a playful smile. He quickly lurched towards me and I dodged him.

"Yeah!" I replied.

"But can you get out of this?" He said as he grabbed me, putting one hand behind my head and one behind my back as he swooped me off my feet and kissed me.

"Not at all." I replied as we broke apart and we kissed again.

_This man is amazing_, I thought to myself. How he had managed to keep the girls off of him was beyond me.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met." He told me as he put my feet back on the ground. I blushed.

"And you know what?" He asked. I had no idea what he was about to say. "You look even better all sweaty."

"Ewwww!" I exclaimed as he laughed. I was covered in sweat. Now I felt all gross. And now that I came to notice, so was he.

"Excuse me, you're covered in sweat too Captain!" I retorted.

"You're right." He said as he looked at himself. "So you won't mind if I give you a big, sweaty hug." Oh no. I was not staying for... But it was too late. He grabbed me in those strong arms of his and was so kind as to wipe some sweat beads from his forehead onto my shirt.

"You are nasty." I exclaimed as he put me down.

"I thought I was charming really." He joked.

"Not right now, you're not." I said, but I couldn't hold back a small giggle. It was pretty funny.

"May I escort Her Sweatiness back to her house?" He asked me, clearly seeing that practice was over.

"Oh, of course Sir Sweats-A-Lot. I would be honored." I said and we graciously exited the gym, still covered in sweat and grosser than ever. But the funny thing was, I liked it.

* * *

**Yeah, I'm in dating fluff mode. But you have to admit, they needed some romance. Besides, we've waited long enough for them to kiss, for crying out loud! But never fear, my readers, action is coming their way. And thank you again for taking the time to read. Be sure to tell me what you all think! :)  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Readers, I have promised action and I have delivered! I hope you like it when you're finished reading! Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Steve and I were closer than ever. He had started coming over to the Tower, about every day to be exact, and although he had no idea about technology, he would sit close beside me and pretend to understand what Bruce and Tony or I were trying to explain to him about the tracing system. It was endearing, really. What was very surprising was that Tony and Steve were slowly becoming good friends. Bruce was even taken aback by how Tony would engage Steve in polite conversation.

"Finally." Bruce muttered and I giggled.

Clint had been fulfilling his promise in getting back at us. He had already gotten Tony a few mornings ago. Clint had hacked into JARVIS and had changed the A.I.'s voice from male to female. Not only that, this new voice didn't speak English, but Chinese, much to my amusement. Tony had spent hours fixing JARVIS. Bruce and Steve had gotten their just desserts as well. Bruce had come in the day after Clint's prank on Tony with pale-green skin. Now he really was the Hulk.

"I've been up all morning trying to scrub this off." He whined as he looked at his skin that looked red from intense washing. That same evening, Steve had been bombarded with NERF arrows when he walked through his apartment door. He had called me immediately afterwards.

"He'll come for you next." He said. We all knew Clint was wiser than to go after Natasha.

"I wonder what he has planned." I questioned. He had hit most of us quickly and precisely. Now it was all about the wait. There was no use fighting fate. Clint would strike and then it would be over, simple as that.

"Want to go do something tonight?" Steve asked over the phone.

"Sure." That would at least hold off triggering the assassin's booby trap for a while longer.

"Walk in the park?"

"Absolutely." The idea of us out together under the stars sounded romantic.

"Stay out of trouble." Tony told me. He and Bruce were going for a night on the town.

"You too!" I exclaimed. I'd meet Steve on the first floor.

"If he tries to kiss you again, remember that karate move I taught you!" Tony yelled as I went through the elevator door.s I could see Bruce laughing as I hit the button to leave. I stuck my tongue out at them and I was gone.

* * *

I gave Steve a peck on the cheek as we walked through the park, our fingers intertwined. The park was surrounded with people, but all I could focus on was Steve. I don't think he could stop from looking at me either. It was a pure miracle we weren't bumping into every person walking past us.

"It's a nice night." Steve said as he looked up towards the sky. The Sun was setting, making the sky a mix of bright pink of deep purple. We listened to the wind whistle through the leaves of the trees. I shivered a bit. Steve must have seen it because he took off his leather jacket.

"Here." He said as he slipped it on me. It was big because of his large upper torso, making me look really small.

"Thank you." I said as we locked hands again and continued. "Pepper's coming down next weekend." I started. "I was hoping you could join us."

"That would be great." Steve replied. I thought it would be good if Steve was actually invited to dinner instead of just dropping in like the last time Pepper visited.

That was when we heard the sound of music playing. It was a guitar player that had set up in a small area in the park. The sound of the guitar playing was slow and steady. It was too inviting not to go. There were already several couples that had gone and started dancing.

"Want to dance?" I asked. Steve looked a little nervous.

"I have two left feet." He admitted.

"I promise I'll go slow." I said and he smiled. We joined the other dancers and sure enough, we kept the pace slow and easy.

"You're pretty good." I told him and he chuckled.

"It's nothing." He said.

"You're a super-soldier and an Avenger, yet you're afraid of dancing?" I teased.

"Dancing isn't exactly like fighting." He explained.

"True." I agreed as we continued to dance. I leaned my head against his shoulder and his heart continued in its rhythmic beat. Even the smell of him was a fragrant aroma was comforting. I felt as though we were the only two people in the world as the soft melody continued to entrance us in its romantic spell.

"Abbey?" He caught my attention and I looked up to him. There was something different about his expression, something deep and unreadable. He seemed hesitant for a moment, but whatever it was, he quickly shoved it aside. "I love you." I took a breath, looking into his eyes, which were breathtakingly sincere. It took me a moment, but I knew in my heart what I wanted to say.

"And I love you, Steve Rogers." I replied. His eyes now turned soft as he gently kissed me on the lips, both of us continuing to dance back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Even when the music stopped, we kept on dancing.

* * *

"You look beautiful tonight." Steve told me lovingly as he dropped me off of his motorcycle at the Tower. "Not that you don't look beautiful everyday, but..." I stopped him with a kiss.

"I know what you meant." I told him with an smile, one which he graciously returned. I tried to give him back his jacket, but he refused.

"Keep it. I'll pick it up when I visit tomorrow." He said with a wink. "But are you sure you don't want me to go inside in case he's booby-trapped the whole apartment?" He asked. I laughed at the thought of what Clint could have come up with as revenge.

"No. I'll take it alone. You've already had your fill."

"Alright. Call me when it's over." He said as he gave me one more peck on the cheek.

The main room was just as it always was. Bruce and Tony were probably still out and wouldn't be back until later. I looked around cautiously to see if there was anything Clint could have done, but there was nothing. That was when I heard the footfalls of steady feet coming in my direction.

"Clint?" I asked. I could just envision him firing a water gun at me anytime. But there was no reply.

"Clint?" I asked again, very confused. "You there?" Again, no answer. Just more footfalls. And they were from the feet of more than one person.

"Well Ms. Stark, we're glad you could join us." A voice with a thick Russian accent said and I looked around to see a tall, blonde woman standing before me. She was joined by two muscular men dressed in black.

"Who are you?" I asked, wide-eyed and afraid.

"Why, we're those terrorists that you've been tracking for weeks." The woman said, taking a step towards me. Now I was terrified.

"JARVIS, alert Tony!" I screamed to the A.I. No response. The group laughed.

"I don't think that A.I. is going to help you." The woman said with a evil smirk. They took a step towards me and I took a step back. I knew that if I could make it to the elevator door in time...No. I'd have to fight this one out.

_Are you nuts?! They're terrorists for crying out loud! You've only been training with Natasha for a few weeks!_

I tried to swallow my fears for the moment, praying I had at least a fighting chance. One of the men lunged at me, but I dodged him. The other one did the same and I performed the same maneuver, only this time the second one caught my leg, knocking me on the ground. I quickly kicked the second man in the face and he clutched his now-bleeding nose in pain. Ha! Maybe I could do this.

"Get her." The Russian woman ordered, now seething. The first man ran at me again and threw a punch in my direction. Again, I dodged and kicked him from behind, knocking him to the floor. But while I was fighting the first man, I hadn't realized the other was right behind me. He quickly toppled me to the ground. I tried to squirm my way out, but he was too heavy.

"Put her out." The woman ordered, her cold eyes fixated on me. That was my last memory before everything went black.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

Bruce and I walked through the elevator doors and into the main room of the Tower. It was pretty quiet. I had expected Sis home by now. I checked her room. She wasn't there.

"Her and lover boy must still be out." I commented as I sat down on the couch and Bruce joined me.

"Those two are inseparable." Bruce commented.

"But I've kind of gotten used to it." I admitted. "He's actually a nice guy."

"It took you long enough to figure that out." Bruce said. His eyes then shifted from me to the coffee table. "What's that?" He asked, pointing to a disc. It read "_For Tony Stark_."

"That's weird." I said as I inserted it into a DVD player. But what I saw on the DVD instantly set chills running through my veins. The scene was a dimly lit room and a chair was in the middle. But when I saw who was in that chair, I nearly screamed. There was an unconscious Abbey, tied down to that chair and a cloth tied around her mouth.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark." A thick Russian voice announced on the screen. There was no one to be seen. "We're the Russian terrorist group you have been uselessly tracking for some time. As you can see, we have something you want." My heart was going ninety miles per hour and it was getting hard to breathe. They had my sister. I don't know how this had happened, but I was freaking out.

"You recently updated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s firewalls that we cannot get past. Now, all we are asking is that you give us the pass codes for the military databases and we'll give you your sister back." The voice said. The camera zoomed in on her face. "And really, Mr. Stark, would you really want to lose your sister again?" The video ended there.

My eyes were wide. I remembered hearing the news that night that I lost my family. I had been working on a new missile. Mom, Dad, and Abbey had been gone to dinner hours, but I had barely noticed because I was so busy. There was a knock on the door and I answered it to find two policeman standing at the door.

_"Tony Stark?"_ _I nodded, very confused._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"There's been an accident. Your mother and father are dead." The words hit me like a slap in the face._

_"Where's Abbey?" I asked. I hoped and prayed she was still alive._

_"We were unable to find your sister. We looked everywhere, but she is nowhere to be found."_

_"Wh-what?" I stammered._

_"We think she might have been ejected from the car and carried off by a wild animal." The officer responded.  
_

_"She has to be alive." I said. "Keep looking for her." I ordered as I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door._

_"Sir, we have already..."_

_"We are going out there now." I snapped._

I was out there for hours. Every bush, every nook and cranny, I looked. As I drove away from that site, my heart felt like it was being pulled out of my chest. I went back many times, hoping that I could find something to at least confirm that she was dead, but there was nothing. And now that this was happening, my heart felt like it was being ripped out a second time.

"Tony." Bruce said, bringing me back to the present, "we need to alert the team."

I nodded, my body numb. There were no words that I could say at the moment. My baby sister. Gone.

* * *

**Please review! They are much appreciated! Thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I know I left you all on a cliffhanger, and I know it's terrible waiting on the next chapter. So sorry! But you have to admit, it makes reading the next chapter a lot sweeter after the wait! Still, I'm so sorry. :(  
**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

My eyes fluttered open to a dimly lit room surrounded by cement floors and walls. The only light was the one shining directly above me. I was tied tightly to a chair and I was gagged. I tried to move against my constraints, but it was a futile effort.

"Well, well, well, someone finally woke up." The woman from before said with satisfied grin as she entered the room. I glared at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You can't talk with that silly gag." She said, although not very apologetically, as she took it off of me.

"What do you want?" I asked immediately.

"You're the key to getting what I want." She replied.

"And what is that?" I asked her.

"The pass codes to all the military databases." She said. "We need them to render your country's missiles defenseless." Gee, she really didn't care to give out her big plans, did she?

"And you think my brother would give national security up for me? He'd never do that." I spat.

"We'll see." The woman said, seeming very confidant. "After sending that recorded video of you tied up here, we definitely have an advantage. The Avengers may be Earth's mightiest heroes, but when it comes to protecting one of their own, we'll see who comes as first priority."

"They'll never give in." I warned her. She scoffed and she walked away, leaving me to my thoughts.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

"We are unable to trace her." Bruce told the team after we had watched the video the second time. I had shifted my gaze to the floor because it was too painful to watch.

"Then what can we do?" Steve asked. His eyes revealed his personal desperation for Abbey mixed with his soldier-like determination.

"Nothing." I said bitterly. The team looked to me.

"Tony..." Bruce started.

"There's only one way to get her back," I cut him off, "and there's no we can release those codes." All the thoughts that had been stewing inside me for the last hour suddenly became real. There's was no way I would ever get my sister back. After all those years of searching, now it had come to this.

"Excuse me." I muttered as I wandered off. I made my way down the hall and went into the first door that caught my eye. I inhaled sharply as I realized it was Abbey's room. I wanted to turn away because just being there was painful. But I couldn't. I couldn't leave this room. Everything she had was here. Her clothes, her bed, her books. That was when I put my head in my hands in despair.

_Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't they have just taken me?_

I sat on her bed for a moment, fighting back the tears that were such a rarity for me.

"Abbey." I whispered. "Please, please come home."

"I'm sorry." Natasha's voice said from the doorway. I was surprised by the assassin's presence. She was generally so reserved and definitely not one for apologies or sympathy. But I could see in her eyes how she genuinely cared, not only for me, but for Abbey as well.

"Thank you." I said, touched.

"If she's the person I know her to be, she will find a way out." She told me. There was a fierce determination in her eyes now.

"I hope so." I said softly.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

I pulled as hard as I could at the ropes, but they wouldn't budge an inch. I sighed angrily as I slumped back in the chair.

_There's nothing else that I can do but sit here._ I thought of what Tony was thinking right now. He must be worried sick. And the team; Bruce, Natasha, Clint...I thought of how much I missed them. And then there was Steve. Could it have been only moments ago that we had danced? And now this. I came to the realization that I still had his jacket on. As a matter of fact, I still had my locket from my birthday...and my bracelet. Wait. Tony had told me that my bracelet had a button to call my suit anytime I needed it. I looked to my wrists and saw the charm with the letter 'S' dangling there. I smiled. I had just found my way out. But before I could make a move, I heard the door open. The blonde woman was there, accompanied by several men, one with a camera and all armed with guns.

"Ready for another filming?" The blonde woman asked the camera man and he nodded.

"Don't move a muscle or I guarantee you will never see you brother again." The woman warned. I decided I should play along. She had no idea what I was going to do. No one did.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V._

That one hour had turned into a whole day since I had seen the last video of Abbey. I had found that the terrorists had taken out JARVIS while they were here, making it impossible for him to help Abbey if she was anywhere close. After I fixed him, he said he had seen no one that he last recalled.

My nerves were on edge. Even after Natasha's encouraging words, my mind was overrun with the thought of Abbey tied up and left in the hands of those monsters. It made me sick. The feeling of the group was the same: tense. Steve kept staring at the floor, his hands formed into fists. Bruce sat back, his eyes looking at the view outside, but his mind elsewhere. Natasha remained inanimate, her eyes unreadable. Clint twiddled an arrow restlessly in his fingers, a look of bitterness apparent in his face. They all had the same conflicting emotions as I did. The fear, the anger, the worry. Never in our wildest dreams had we wanted this to happen.

"We have another message." Clint said as he looked at a message on a laptop. "They want to talk to us." He pulled up the screen and there was Abbey, still tied up and helpless-looking. Her eyes, usually bright and cheerful, were now dim and depressed. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. This might very well be the last time I ever see her again.

"Hello again, Avengers." The same female voice said. There was still no sign of where the voice was coming from. "As you can see, we're still waiting on your reply from our last video twenty-four hours ago." That was when a hand holding a gun appeared on the screen and put it to my sister's head. I breathed sharply. "Do you have an answer for me?"

There was silence for a moment. The possibility of having my sister killed on the screen was more real than ever.

"Please let her go. She has no part in this." I couldn't stop myself from pleading. I grasped on to one shred of hope that they would have mercy.

"Oh, she has everything to do with this." The voice replied. "We would gladly let her go if you'd release those codes." My heart sunk and I couldn't find a reply.

"I can see you are still debating, Mr. Stark. But I'm feeling quite generous today, so I'm going to give you twelve hours to give a response. If by then you are still unrelenting, you sister will be executed right here on camera. We are anxiously waiting."

With that, the screen turned black and for a few moments, we were all silent. My eyes were wide with horror. Twelve hours. And the clock was ticking.

"Maybe if we..." Steve began.

"No Steve." I snapped. "We have no idea where they are, and if we release any codes, it will be chaos." I said, now furious. I didn't want to bring it out on Steve, but he was the first available target.

"Tony." Natasha said. I looked at the one who had brought me some comfort only hours before. But any hope of ever holding my sister in my arms again was quickly slashed in pieces. It was the darkest moment I had had since that tragic car accident so many years ago. Now I was left to relive the horror of losing my sister a second time.

"I'm going to lose my sister in twelve hours. There's nothing any one of us can do without jeopardizing Abbey or the country. So, unless by some miracle Abbey can free herself, it's over." I raged. We didn't have the courage to say it, but we were indeed, helpless.

"Sir, one of the suits has left the building." JARVIS informed me immediately after my rant.

"What?" I asked. "Which one?"

"Ms. Stark's sir. My sensors tell me that the emergency button on her bracelet has been pressed." The A.I. replied. That's when it hit me. The bracelet I had given her for her birthday. She must still have it.

"That's my smart girl." I said as a smile of relief creeped its way onto my face.

"What's JARVIS talking about?" Steve asked. He, as well as the others, were now very confused.

"JARVIS, track that suit! We're on our way." I said as I looked to the team. "Guys, let's go catch some terrorists."

* * *

**There's still light at the end of this tunnel, everyone! **


	17. Chapter 17

**I decided I couldn't wait to repost with action like this. Life feels completely wrong if you're left on a cliffhanger for too long. Here you go my readers! And thank you all again for reading and reviewing!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

I was trying to keep a grin of success from showing on my face. I had just called the suit and it should be here anytime. The little 'S' was flashing an indiscreet red, but I tried to keep that hidden from sight, lest someone be watching me. I tried to undo the ropes once more, but they still wouldn't budge. No big deal. I could always have JARVIS use the suit to burn through them.

_Thank you big brother_, I thought to myself as I waited for the suit. The door to the room opened again.

"Hmmm...it's been two hours. Your brother and his band of misfits have only ten hours to decide if you live or die." The blonde woman said.

"I told you they'd never give you those codes. Not even for me." I said.

"No matter. I will kill you anyways you pathetic little..." The sound of crashing reached both of our ears and she fell silent. The sound became louder and louder until the wall to my prison was obliterated, revealing my suit through the cement dust that covered the room like smoke. The blonde woman had been knocked down and for the moment was unconscious.

"JARVIS, can you cut through these ropes?" I asked the A.I.

"Of course, Ms. Stark." The A.I. sounded almost ecstatic to see me. The suit produced two small beams from its electronic hands and quickly cut through the ropes. It felt good to be free.

"Open her up." I commanded and the suit opened, giving me entrance to the suit, which quickly closed in behind me. I took what was left of the remaining ropes and tied the unconscious terrorist to the same chair I had been only moments before.

"Mr. Stark is within two minutes of arrival, with the Avengers quickly behind him." JARVIS informed me. "And it's good to have you back." I smiled at the A.I.'s comment. He may seem like a machine, but I still thought of him like a human being.

"Abbey, are you there?" Tony's voice rang out in the suit.

"Tony, I'm here!" I exclaimed and I heard him breathe in a sweet sigh of relief.

"Are you alright? Any broken bones? Any..."

"I'm alright." I told him. "But I found one of the terrorists and I have her tied up."

"Good job, kid!" Clint's voice said. The agents must have been listening to the whole thing. "Did you blast her good?"

"Clint! We need that woman for questioning. Don't encourage her!" Natasha's voice said sternly to the archer. Still, it was good to hear her voice.

"Don't worry. I haven't hurt her." I replied with a smirk. "But you better come get her before she wakes up."

"Abbey, are you alright?" Steve's voice came in.

"I'm fine." I replied. It was good to hear the soldier's voice as well.

"Not for long you won't." The woman's voice said from behind me. I turned and saw her standing up, the knots undone. As if to answer my question, she said, "You're a terrible knot tier." Something went _clink_ on the ground and I saw what looked like a grenade and I felt a sudden shock wave pulsing through the suit.

"Abbey, what's going on?" Steve's voice shouted, but the electricity in the suit was slowly going out.

"What's going on?" I said aloud. As a safety measure, the suit opened itself up as the suit ran out of power. I hated that feature because now I had an angry terrorist pointing a gun at me.

"You think your suit is impenetrable? Think again." The woman said with a smirk as she ushered for me to stand. "So much for your suit idea."

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was a complete waste of time." Tony's voice said as he stepped through the hole in the wall. That's when the woman grabbed me and held the cold gun to my head. "Make one move and I kill her." She threatened. Tony stood still. "Now," seeing that she had gotten his attention, "call your team and tell them to stop where they're at."

"Team, don't move in. I repeat, don't move in." Tony said immediately.

"Now, take off your suit and follow me." She said. I could tell an idea was forming in her mind as Tony removed the suit and she led us through the door and out into the hallway. The walls were the same concrete as my prison room, only you could the place had been abandoned for years. I think I even saw a rat scurry across the floor.

My mind was thinking quickly, trying to come up with a plan, although the gun pressed to my head was making it a little hard to concentrate. She led us further down the hallway and then opened a door to a wide open room, like the size of gymnasium. But this one was filled with many wires leading up to at least a dozen computers in the center of the room. There was no one else around. I guess the other terrorists had fled when they heard my suit crashing through the wall.

"Disarm your firewalls." The woman, now very desperate, demanded. I could tell Tony was apprehensive, looking from me to the computer. "Do it!" She snapped.

"Do it." I told him, an idea popping into my head. I gave him a small wink and he must have seen it because he sat down at the computer and quickly turned up S.H.I.E.L.D. files and started disabling the firewalls.

It was now or never. I only had a second at most, but I could do it. Summoning up all the courage I had, in one swift move I took my hand and thrust the gun away from the woman by knocking her arm back. The gun flew far away from us on the floor.

"Grab the gun!" I shouted to Tony as I wrestled the woman until I had her down on the ground, both arms pinned on the dusty floor.

"Guys, you can come in now." I assumed Tony was talking to the team through an earpiece as he went to retrieve the weapon.

"You'll regret this." The woman seethed, her eyes filled with fiery hatred.

"I don't think so." I said with a triumphant smile.

"Oh really?" The woman said. In a split second, she managed to use her legs to kick me in the gut and I fell off of her in pain. There was no time to react as she pulled out a hidden dagger and she threw the weapon at me.

"NO!" Tony shouted as he came back with the gun. I felt a sharp sting in my stomach. Tony fired the gun and the woman fell permanently in a heap on the ground, a bullet in her skull, but a sinister smile on her face.

"Abbey..." He said, scrambling over to me. The knife had wasted no time in doing its job, blood now seeping out of the wound.

"Tony." I said, terrified.

"It's alright." He assured me as he looked at the wound. But I could tell from his expression that everything was not alright. He ripped off a piece of his sleeve and put it against the wound, but it was instantly drenched in blood. The red liquid was quickly becoming a puddle on the floor when the sound of footsteps on the hard floors echoed in my ears.

"What happened?" I heard Steve's voice and then I saw his face.

"Steve." I said. He looked at me, his eyes relieved. But they quickly turned to horror as he saw the wound.

"She stabbed her." Tony said, gesturing over to the dead terrorist.

"We need to get her to a hospital." Natasha said as she appeared on the scene. "Now."

"I've got her." Steve offered as he gingerly picked me up. I winced at the pain in my stomach.

"Sorry." He said as we started to make our way hurriedly out of the building.

"Am I going to be okay?" I asked, starting to feel a little light-headed. I saw some blood trickle off onto his shirt.

"Of course you are." Steve replied with that dazzling smile that still entranced me. I could feel my heart melt at I looked into his breathtaking eyes, which were now so concerned and full of fear. I must have lost a lot of blood because I was slowly beginning to fall asleep. He saw me start to close my eyes and said, "Remember that night that we danced?"

"How could I forget?" I asked through the fogginess in my brain, that night still very vivid in my mind. "You told me you loved me."

"Yes I did. And you told me that you loved me too." I was beginning to nod off, despite trying my hardest to stay awake.

"You dance so well." I said sleepily as I leaned my head against his chest, which was so warm and comforting. I could hear his heartbeat that was now pumping fast and strong against his skin.

"Stay awake." He reminded me. It was both a plea and a command. But I didn't know if I could hold on. For a moment, I thought I could summon some strength to stay awake, but in a matter of seconds, I knew the fight was over.

"I'm so tired." I replied as my eyes started to close, all the while someone was yelling my name. Then I was gone.

* * *

**Yep! That's right. Another cliffhanger. After all the fluff and stuff, this is the action and drama that unfolds. But don't worry. Another chapter is on its way! And by the way, that device that disabled Abbey's suit, I made that up. It took out the whole computer system with an electrical shock wave. I hope that somehow makes sense. If not, use your imagination! LOL Please review to tell me how I'm doing! And thank you for reading!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**I would like to thank all of you for reviewing on the past few chapters! But this is where the action ends. I'm sure you're all relieved at that. To quite honest, so am I! I hope I didn't make you all mad with the cliffhangers. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Tony's P.O.V._

It had taken all of five minutes to get from the abandoned warehouse that Abbey had been in downtown New York to get to the hospital. Abbey had been rushed into emergency surgery immediately. I feared the worst. I had already called Pepper. She was taking the jet and would be here in a matter of hours. I must have fallen asleep for a few minutes. I hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours. No wonder I was so tired.

"She's going to be alright." Natasha assured me. "She's strong."

"There was so much blood." I said, still horrified. What that woman had done to my sister...I couldn't believe I hadn't reacted sooner.

"I promise you, she's going to be alright." The red-headed assassin said again, her eyes encouraging. The archer remained silent, but he gave off the same air of assurance.

"Any word yet?" Steve asked. He had been pacing the hospital for the last half-hour and hadn't stopped. He looked like a wreck and he was beginning to worry the other families waiting on others who were in surgery. His shirt had been covered in blood, only scaring the public more, so we had had to grab another one for him.

"Not yet." I replied. Bruce put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry." Bruce told me. But how could I stop worrying?

"Mr. Stark?" A man in a white coat stood in front of me, his hair grey and his expression revealing his exhaustion.

_Please let her be alive. Please let her be alive.  
_

"Yes?" I stood up and braced myself for the worst.

"The knife barely missed all of her important organs, but she is going to live. She's a lucky girl."

_She's going to live._ I let the words sink in before I said anything.

"Can we go see her?" I asked and he nodded.

"Only one person at a time. Family only." The doctor replied.

"They are family." I said as I looked to the group before me and they each smiled.

"Go on in. We'll see her later." Bruce said and I nodded before rushing off to see her.

The sight before me was nothing short of unnatural. They had a few IVs stuck in her arm, one pumping more blood back into her system. She was still asleep from the surgery. I had to quickly remind myself that she was going to be alright.

"Hey Abs." I whispered as I touched her hand. I wondered if she could hear me. "You did great today. Like an Avenger, I'd say." There was no response, but it felt better to talk to her than sit in the silence.

"I love you, Sis." I said as I stroked my hand through her hair. That's when I knew she was going to pull through. My little sister was going to be alright.

* * *

_Steve's P.O.V._

She had looked so helpless when I held her. The blood was coming out so quickly, yet she didn't seem to notice because she was looking at me so fondly. Then she had gone limp in my arms. I had wondered if she had died right then and there in my arms. Chills ran down my spine at the memory. The second I heard he doctor say she was going to be alright, I sank into a chair by the group with relief.

"So you told her you loved her?" Clint asked me, trying to keep my mind, as well as everyone else's off the past events for a few moments.

"Yeah." I said. The whole group must have heard that conversation.

"I was wondering when you'd finally tell her." He said with a smile.

"Was it that obvious?" He gave me this look that said 'duh' and I managed a small laugh.

"But you couldn't have picked anyone better." Natasha cut in. "She's got a mean right swing."

"And a knack for pranks." Bruce put in. We all took a moment to remember the fun memories and laugh a little at them. I had to admit, it took the edge off of the situation.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

_"Hush little one. Daddy's here." _My father's voice, which was so much like Tony's, said in-between my fussing in his arms. I was reliving a past memory.

I grew silent as I looked through the outside window and saw the moon overlooking the ocean.

_"You like that moon, baby girl?"_ He asked me with those big brown eyes of his. He walked me over to the window. _"I'll get you the moon."_

The scene before me was so peaceful. The waves lapped at the cliffs below and I could see a small dot, an unidentifiable bird, fly in the moonlight.

_"Is she asleep?"_ My mother asked as she entered into the nursery.

_"She's beginning too."_ He answered, but I started fussing again.

_"Does she need her big brother?"_ I wrestled in my father's arms to see my brother, now an eighteen year-old, come in in some pajama pants and a t-shirt.

_"Bu-bu."_ I mumbled in baby talk.

_"I think she does."_ Father said as he gently handed me over to him.

_"Go on to bed. I'll take care of her."_ Tony said as he sat in a rocking chair with me. My head was against his chest and the slow back and forth rocking of the chair was gently lulling me to sleep.

_"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."_ He had the same enchanting voice as our father and my eyes slowly closed as I drifted back to sleep.

My eyes opened to the plain white walls of what looked like a hospital room. My thoughts were slow as I looked around the room. I saw a few IVs in my arm and, without thinking, I reached to try to pull them out.

"No, no." My brother's voice said as he pulled my hand away. There was my brother, the shadows under his eyes dark, but his eyes cheerful.

"Tony." I said softly.

"I'm here." He reassured me. "It's alright."

"I remember." I said suddenly and he raised an eyebrow.

"What do you remember?" He asked curiously.

"Mom and Dad." I said, smiling at my recent dream. "And you. You sang to me when I was little." He must have been surprised for one to remember something like that so young, but he took my hand in his and gave me a light kiss on the forehead.

"Yes I did." He answered. He was reminiscing on those old memories when I quickly became very tired and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The next time I woke up I was in a different room; one with pastel blue walls and a more homey feel.

"Good morning." Pepper's voice said warmly. I saw her sitting in a chair close to my hospital bed.

"Pepper." I said, both surprised and cheerful. I noticed there were a few balloons on top of a nightstand next to my bed. They read 'Get Well Soon.'

"Who are those from?" I asked and she smiled.

"The team decided to decorate your room while you were asleep." She replied. I noticed a small NERF launcher and darts set by the balloons.

"Clint thought you would get a kick out of shooting a few nurses with it. He said he did it once and it made him feel better," Pepper explained. Typical Clint. But it was a great idea.

"Where's Tony?" I asked curiously.

"I told him to go get some rest. He's been on a strict diet of coffee for the past three days in the hospital." Three days? Had it really been that long?

"Thank you for coming." I said, grateful that she cared so much.

"You're my sister. Family stays together, remember?" She said with another one of her warm smiles.

"Yes." I replied. Family did stay together. There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Pepper inquired and Steve came in with a bouquet of flowers. He was wearing one of his collar shirts and some khakis.

"May I come in?" He asked, not wanting to interrupt anything.

"Yes." Pepper replied. "As a matter of fact, I need to go check on Tony if you'll excuse me." She brushed past him and gave me a small wink before exiting, leaving me and Steve alone.

"Hi." I croaked. I probably looked like a wreck, but that didn't seem to stop him from looking at me.

"I brought these for you." He said, placing the bouquet of flowers on the nightstand by the balloons. He looked at the NERF set as well and shook his head.

"Clint, right?" I nodded and he chuckled.

"Of course."

"Thank you for the flowers." I said happily. That was when he placed his hand on mine.

"Anything for my girl." He said all boyfriend-like. _My girl_. The words made me giddy.

"Are you alright?" He asked and I nodded.

"Fit as a fiddle." He laughed at my simile.

"Good." He gave me a small peck on the cheek and sat down beside me in a chair filled by Pepper only a moment ago.

"I missed you." He told me as he took the seat Pepper had been in a moment ago.

"I missed you too." I replied. I tried to sit up completely, but I winced, the knife wound still painful.

"I don't think you should be moving so soon." Steve advised.

"I'm a Stark. I can take a little knife wound." I said confidently and he laughed.

"Stubborn. Just like your brother." It was my turn to laugh.

"What can I say? It runs in the family." I said. "Speaking of which, where is the team?"

"Right outside. They can't wait to see you." He responded.

"Then send them in." I told him. Steve was all too happy to let them in.

"Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up." Clint said as they walked in and I rolled my eyes.

"Um, I was a little injured, if you haven't noticed." I retorted.

"Pfff...so you got one little knife wound. Nat and I have given you far worse." He gestured towards the silent red head.

"How could I forget?" I said as I remembered all the times she had practically beaten me to a pulp. I was surprised I had never gotten at least a broken bone from her.

"Oh well. I suppose we'll have to toughen you up in practice." He said. I prayed he was joking.

"Clint, I don't think she's going to be in practice for a while." Natasha said, giving me some relief...at least for the moment.

"How are you holding up?" Bruce asked me.

"Better than what I could be, I guess." I replied to the sensitive scientist. "And thanks for the NERF arrows." I said to the archer and he smirked.

"Nat knows too well how much I love to fire those."

"Every day at S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury's starting to get annoyed with you shooting his eye patch." Natasha said sternly too him, although I could see she was being playful.

_Lovebirds._

"So, did you figure out who the terrorist lady was?" I asked. I was quite curious to know who had tried to take my life.

"Irene Schpilkas." Natasha replied. "She was a promoter of anti-American sentiment for years because some American soldiers killed her parents who were suspected of terrorism, although they weren't. So, she decided she wanted to destroy the United States for good. She assembled a few team members who felt the same way and this is where we are."

"Oh." I said. Typical bad experience in the past turns to full-on evil person later. Typical? Not really sure. I don't know that many bad guys.

"Yeah." Bruce agreed. "That's all we could say when we found out too."

"And the group has officially broken up." Steve concluded.

"Which means we don't have to worry about them anymore." I said. Good. I didn't have to worry about being attacked again.

I unexpectedly let out a yawn.

"I think we've given you enough excitement for the day." Bruce said. Everyone else silently agreed. "We'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Okie dokie." I said as they all left, that is, except for Steve.

"I think I'll stay here until Tony and Pepper get back." He said as he resumed a sitting position in the chair next to me.

"I think I need a kiss before I go back to bed." I hinted at the soldier.

"Why of course. How could I forget?" He said with a grin as he kissed me on the lips. I was going to feel better in a matter of no time.

* * *

**I hope you all liked how this chapter turned out. Again, I feel bad about the cliffhangers, but I hope this makes up for it. And thank you all for reading. There are still more chapters to come! If you would, ****please review. **


	19. Chapter 19

**My dear readers, I must confess that this is the last chapter for this story. But no tears! I PROMISE a happy ending!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

"I am NOT leaving in that thing." I said stubbornly as I looked at the wheelchair. I was perfectly content to walk my way out of the hospital.

"I'm telling you again, get in the the chair." Tony ordered. I had been recovering in the hospital and, after two weeks, I could finally go home. But I refused to leave in a wheelchair when I could walk perfectly on my own two feet.

"Why do I have to get in? I know you'd never get in a wheelchair after a hospital stay." He knew I was right, but he was stubborn like me.

"You're my little sister who almost got killed by a terrorist. I'm NOT risking you injuring yourself." He argued.

"Ha! I'll probably get injured sometime today somehow or another." He crossed his arms.

"Then you leave me no choice," he said cryptically. That's when he yelled, "Steve!"

_Ah, nuts!_ Now he was going to physically force me into the chair with my not-so-helpful boyfriend Steve. He was almost as bad as Tony when it came to this whole safety thing. The first time I got out of bed, he only let me walk one step before lifting me up and putting me back in. Pepper had to step in and make them let me become more independent. But this time, Pepper was out of the room for a minute or two, leaving me to the safety squad. Great...

"What's wrong?" Steve asked as he looked at the two of us, Tony resting his hands on the wheelchair now and I was crossing my arms now.

"She won't get in the wheelchair." Tony tattled.

"I don't need one!" I protested. He gave me stern look with those adorable eyes.

"Abbey, you need to get in the chair." He said.

"Please...you wouldn't make Tony do it!" I whined.

"Give it up. Get in the chair." He ordered. "Don't make me make you." He gave me a wink. I don't think Tony was going to be too happy about seeing Steve and I kiss in front of him, but I did it anyway.

"I'll do it for a kiss." I said sweetly and Tony made this gagging look as Steve consented and gave me a kiss.

"Yuck." He commented as I fulfilled my part of the deal and got in the chair.

"Finally." Tony said as Steve opened the door and wheeled me out and the rest of the team was there, plus Pepper.

"Golly, what took you so long?" Pepper asked.

"Someone wouldn't get in the wheelchair." Tony replied as he looked at me.

"I still think it's dumb that I'm in a wheelchair." I complained.

"At least this insures you won't injure yourself until you get home." Clint said. "You are a bit on the klutzy side, after all."

"Haha, very funny." I said sarcastically as we made our way out the hospital doors.

Thirty minutes later I was home for the first time in weeks. That's when I noticed a huge, obnoxious banner hanging in the main room. It read: Welcome Home Abbey!

"What?" I asked. Everyone else was smiling.

"Welcome home." Clint said. He had walked to the kitchen and pulled out a cake that said the same thing on the banner.

"We figured that after getting kidnapped and almost dying that you deserved something special." Bruce said, cutting off a piece.

"Oh yeah, something real special." Natasha said oddly. I gave her a confused look when I felt a piece of cake squash on my face.

"Hey!" I shouted as whatever cake particles that hadn't remained on my face fell on the floor with a _splat_.

"You didn't think I would let you off the hook for spraying me with a water gun, did you?" Clint asked with a smirk.

"Really Clint? I just had those floors cleaned!" Pepper exclaimed as she saw the cake and its frosting on the floor.

"Hey, it's not all my doing! Natasha helped me!" He said, pointing a finger at his fellow assassin/lover, who now was smiling with delight.

"Did I?" She asked all innocent-like. Clint sighed.

"Whatever." He said as he grabbed a slice for himself. After I had wiped the cake off, I took one too. And it definitely tasted better when I was eating it than it was when I was wearing it. I sat down beside Steve and enjoyed the company of my brother and sister-in-law, my boyfriend, and the rest of the team. In this moment, I knew we were all the one thing that I had always dreamed and wished for: a family.

* * *

_Tony's P.O.V.  
_

For once in a long time I could breathe easy. My sister was alive and safely back in my arms again. And now she was just as much a part of the team as any of us were. And really, her man of choice wasn't _that_ bad. I mean, if I had to say something nice about ol' Captain Goody-Two Shoes, it was that, well, he was a goody two shoes, which meant he was a gentleman. The fact that he loved her made me realize she was in just as good of hands with him as she was with me. There, I said it. That's all you'll here from me personally on the subject.

I realized that all those years that Abbey and I had been apart might have made this relationship that we had now stronger than ever. It may have hurt both of us at the beginning of our lives, but in the end, we were closer than any other brother and sister could ever dream. I couldn't have asked for a better sister. One that I loved with all my heart.

As I stood beside my fellow teammates, wife, and sister, I realized we were all the one thing we had been hoping for for years. A family.

* * *

**I know it was a very short chapter, but this is how I wanted to end it. After Tony has been through so much, I decided that he should lead us into the ending of this story. I hope you all loved reading this story as much as I did writing it! And don't be sad that this story has ended. It's a happy ending! :) I would love to thank everyone who has reviewed and read this story. You all have taken time out of your lives to read this, which means a lot to me. I might ask just one favor though. Could all of you that have read this story please review this one last time? I would really appreciate it! Thank you all again for everything! **


	20. Chapter 20

**I've decided to add some little one-shot scenes set after"Unexpected Family." I hope you like this first one! I will continue using this story to post , so don't worry about missing new one-shots if you are following. :)  
**

* * *

**ONE-SHOT**

It had been a year since I had discovered I was a part of the Stark family. Pepper had officially moved into Stark Tower six months ago when she figured out Tony and I didn't want to go back to live permanently in Malibu. It was a fun vacation house, but it wasn't home like New York. She still made a few business trips every few months, but she mostly ran Stark Industries from the Tower.

The whole family pretty much centered around the Tower. Bruce was Tony's partner in the R&D dept. of Stark Industries, as was I. Bruce had even found a woman that he had know from his past, a woman named Betty. They had met, ironically, at the same diner that I had met Steve. Life is weird, huh? And before we all knew it, they were falling madly in love for each other.

Clint and Natasha were always on missions, but they were back every couple of weeks. And they made sure I kept busy on some training, but it had settled down quite a bit. I didn't have to do loads of push-ups, that's for sure! And when they came back, Clint was sure to give me a healthy dose of pranks. Of course, Natasha was there to help me get back at him.

Steve, well, he was still the gentleman that I had known since the day I met him. His eyes still sparkled, his smile never faded, and his love for me never left. Neither had my love for him, for that matter. Today, he was wearing one of the outfits I had bought for him; a navy blue and red plaid collared shirt and some jeans. Come to think of it, he hadn't worn jeans that much until I suggested it. I think he did it because I found him attractive in them. Boyfriends, right?

"How's my beautiful girl?" Steve asked as he came through the elevator doors and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Very good now that my handsome man is here." I said sweetly. He started looking around at the empty room.

"Which one is that?" I smacked him playfully on the chest.

"Ow." He mumbled and I laughed.

"You know who I was talking about." I said as I gave him another small kiss on the cheek. "And besides, that didn't even hurt."

"Yes it does!" Tony protested as he and Bruce came back from the lab a few floors down. "I'd better tell Clint and Natasha to lay off the training."

"It's a good defense mechanism." I argued.

"Yeah, yeah." Tony shrugged it off as he chilled down on the couch and pulled up the news. It was still the most boring channel ever.

"So what do the goober smooches plan to do today?" Bruce joked at the nickname for us as he joined Tony on the couch.

"I thought I'd hang out here, actually." Steve said and Bruce had this weird look on his face, like that might be somewhat of an inconvenience.

"Is something wrong?" I inquired.

"Well I...ummmm...well..." He stammered.

"He's meeting Betty here for a little theater get-together." Tony stated bluntly.

"Movie night?" I asked and he nodded sheepishly.

"I thought I might try the same date you two had." He replied, referring to Steve and I's _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_ date night; the one that Tony had interrupted when I was about to get my first kiss.

"Just remember, no kissing or Tony will interrupt." I reminded him and all of us burst out laughing. That is, except Tony.

"I was just being a protective big brother." He defended.

"An _over_-protective big brother." I corrected him.

"Whatever." He said as he turned his attention to the news.

"So what are you going to watch?" I asked Bruce.

"I was hoping that you would pick the movie, since your date was such a success." Yeah. Having your brother walk in on you and your boyfriend is a real success story.

"Ask Betty what she likes, even if it's a chick flick." Bruce shuddered. The thought of being subjected to an emotional film suited only for the eyes of women must terrify him.

"Alright." He sighed and he sent a text to Betty.

"She says she wants to watch _Pride and Prejudice_." He said after she sent a text back.

"How romantic." I commented and Tony snorted.

"Boredom. There's no action in there."

"I wonder if I will get to kiss her..."

"Bruce!" Tony objected, "be a man!"

"I think it's sweet Bruce wants to watch a romance movie with his girlfriend." I said. "Steve certainly wanted to watch one with me." Steve gushed at the memory.

"Pepper would never have done this with me." Tony said.

"Yes I would. You just never asked." Pepper's voice filled the room as she returned from her office.

"Honey, I..." Pepper cut him off.

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to watch those action movies of yours all the time?" She argued, placing her hands on her hips. Oh goodness. What had Tony just gotten himself into?

"Dear, please..."

"Maybe there's something _I _would like for _us_ to watch together?"

Tony was speechless for a moment, then he slowly took a deep breath.

"Is there something you would like to watch tonight? My treat." He asked very politely and very sweetly.

"_You've Got Mail_." Pepper responded with a smirk. Now that was a funny movie, but with some added romance.

"Third floor at seven o'clock. Meet you there?" Tony asked his wife.

"I'll be there." She said as she gave him a small peck on the forehead and walked off, leaving us all silent.

"Wow she's good." Tony said as he continued staring at the door that had closed behind her. Only Pepper could tame my brother, that was for sure.

That was when Tony's cell phone rang with a text message.

"Text from Clint." Tony said aloud. "He writes: Don't call for any plans tonight. I've got a movie night with a beautiful red-head. Do NOT disturb!"

_Lovebirds_.

"He must think SOMEONE would interrupt them." I suggested as I looked at Tony.

"It's not like I do that to everyone." Tony defended himself.

"Yes, you do!" Bruce, Steve, and I said in unison.

After Clint's text, I had to wonder; what was the deal with this movie night thing?

* * *

"How do you turn this thing on again?" Steve asked, eying the stove in the kitchen a few floors down from Bruce and Betty. I was glad that Tony had built several floors with living areas and kitchens and such, since most everyone had decided to use the Tower tonight. Both Steve and I had decided to have a movie night, just like everyone else. This time, I got to pick one of my favorites: _Monsters Inc. _But at the moment, we were working on making some homemade pizza before the show. However, we had to get the oven on first.

"Press the button that says "bake" and then press the button with the arrow pointing up until it reaches 400 degrees," I instructed him. He still had a bit to learn about technology, but he had made significant gains. After doing so, he joined me in rolling out the crust.

"This is harder than it looks." I said as I put all my effort into working the dough with a rolling pin.

"Come on. You're stronger than that." He teased. "Here, let me help you." His arms surrounded me and placed his hands on top of mine and placed them on the rolling pin. I blushed as we worked through the dough and eventually got it formed into a round circle.

"Perfect." He whispered in my ear and I managed to turn around between his arms. He instantly laughed.

"What?" I asked.

"You've got a little flour on your nose." He said.

"I think you need a little to match." I replied as I took my floury hand and put some on his face.

"Come to think of it, you don't have near enough flour on your cheeks to match your nose." He said as he put some flour from his hands on my cheeks.

"Maybe this will help match your face." I said as I took a small handful from the counter and put it in his hair.

"You need some too," as he returned the favor and sprinkled some in mine.

"Flour fight?" I suggested and a devilish grin creeped onto his face. Without warning, he grabbed some and threw it at me, hitting me on my chest. I returned fire, and a mound of it went into his mouth. He gagged for a minute.

"Steve, are you alright?" I was now concerned. Without a moment's notice he grabbed me be the sides and had me on the flour-covered floor. I probably looked like Casper right about now.

"You're not very good at seeing through my tricks." He joked as he patted me down with flour.

"Only because you're so good at them." I said as I reached up and pecked him on the cheek. We both sat down on the floor , thoroughly covered in flour.

"I don't think we're going to make it to that movie tonight." Steve said and I giggled.

"No. I really don't think we are." I agreed. That's when we oven timer rang.

We both laughed. We'd probably never make it to that either. But I didn't care. It was a special night with my special man. Nothing could be better.

* * *

**This was one of the first one-shots to show how all the romantic relationships are coming together. Thank you all for reading! If you like these one-shots, keep an eye out for them. I'll post them once in a while. As always, please review! THANK YOU!  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Another one-shot, ladies and gentleman! I can guarantee that this chapter is going to be huge, no matter how short it is! By the way, I'm just going to start calling these chapters, but they are kind of like one-shots if you get my drift.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One  
**

It was going to be a hot summer day out in New York City. It was only nine in the morning, but as I looked out from the top of Stark Tower, I think I actually saw sweat dripping off of the city's inhabitants and I felt terrible for them inside of the air-conditioned building. Nope. I was definitely not going out today. Bruce, Tony and Steve had gone out to do some sort of activity...something about teaching Steve about water balloons and Clint. I had a pretty good idea about what they were going to do and I did not want any part of that mess...at least not today.

Pepper had decided to take a day off to relax and rewind from work by spending some time with me after she had had a busy business trip last week. I could tell she was exhausted. We had decided to watch some old chick-flicks. It was about nine-thirty in the morning when everything became very strange. Pepper, usually so cool and collected, flew out of the room suddenly and this alarmed me. The bathroom door was closed and I could hear the sound of someone hurling.

"Pepper?" I asked, very frightened.

"I'm alright." Her voice was shaky. "I'm alright."

"Do you want me to call Tony?" I asked. There was a moment of silence before she spoke up again.

"No. It's nothing. I must have just caught something that's all." I believed her, so I decided to leave her be. But about ten minutes later, she walked out, looking just as calm as she normally was.

"Better already?" I asked and she nodded.

"I think it was all the stress from last week that caught up with me." She explained. Weird. Pepper was one to handle stress quite well. But I trusted her, so I left the matter alone.

It was just a few days after that that things got stranger. Pepper had gotten something out of the fridge to eat that morning, something I don't think I had ever seen her eat; cold pizza and pickles. The combination disgusted me at seven in the morning. What was even more surprising was that she devoured about every last piece of the pizza and the whole jar of pickles. I didn't say anything, but I knew something was up. I just had no idea until later that day.

I had just gone to the bathroom to do all the necessary prep and groom so I would look like a complete mess before Steve arrived later that afternoon when I noticed something strange poking out of the trash. Something that made me gasp and then grin. A little device that could either make your day or make a long nine months. A pregnancy test. And it had a '+' sign. Didn't that mean she was pregnant? And even if I didn't know anything about reading pregnancy tests, from all the weird stuff Pepper had been eating and being sick and all, the puzzle started to piece itself together.

"Pepper." I said absentmindedly.

"What?" She asked. She must have been walking past the door. Just my luck.

"Nothing." I lied, hiding any knowledge of my current findings. But she knew me too well to know something was up.

"What's going on?" She asked calmly, although I sensed a tingle of nervousness. Could she possibly know?

"Really, it's nothing." I lied again. But this time, I think it kind of became apparent I was hiding something.

"You saw it, didn't you?" She asked in her all-knowing tone of voice.

"Yes." I admitted.

"I thought I hid that thing well enough." She said and I heard her slump against the wall. I poked my head out of the bathroom and there she was, crouched on the floor. She seemed stressed. _Really _stressed.

"Pepper, why are you so upset? This is a good thing." I reassured her.

"I don't know how Tony's going to take it." She said, one little tear making its way slowly down her cheek.

"He'll love the news." I said, a little amazed she was so scared at this. Then again, I hadn't ever seen my brother with kids. I didn't even know if he liked them.

"We never wanted kids," she told me. "But now that I'm pregnant, I feel...happy. But Tony...I just don't know."

"He's my big brother. He loved me when I was a baby. Knowing that, he'll adore any child that's his, especially one that comes from you." I told her and that made her smile.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"I know so." I replied. "Now, I know you've been eating a bunch of ice cream and the last carton is gone. How about some more?"

"Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey?" She asked.

"My treat." I said. She quickly perked up. Today was turning out into a good day after all. Now all I had to do was keep it from Tony. I prayed that nothing terrible would happen until then. My prayers were answered all right, but the odds were definitely not in my favor.

* * *

A few days later, Pepper and I were still discussing about how to tell Tony. We had narrowed it down to either telling him that evening while we were all at home or all of us going out to dinner. I was sitting around eating some Lucky Charms when the sound of quick footsteps echoed loudly on the floor. That's when I saw Tony, his face bewildered.

"Sis, we need to talk." He said seriously. I scooted away my bowl of cereal and offered a seat, which he took.

"What's up?" I asked innocently.

"I'm not going to mince words, so I'll just cut right to the chase," He started. "Do you know who's this is?" He pulled out a pregnancy test. OK, that was gross, first of all. Second, how did he find that? I thought we had properly disposed all of them. She had taken several tests apparently, just to be sure.

"Please tell me you sanitized that thing." I said in disgust.

"Of course not. Dummy did. I'm not going to touch that." Tony said, referring to a robot down in the lab. "Now, I've excluded you..."

"Well duh." I commented. "If my name was Mary, yes, but otherwise, no." He laughed at the Biblical reference, but quickly moved on.

"And Pepper's out. But I really wonder if it's Natasha."

"Why would Natasha take a pregnancy test here, especially when she knows you could dig through the trash?" I asked him.

"Hide it from Clint." Tony answered. "It's quite obvious, really."

"Oh yeah." I said, sarcasm dripping with each word.

"Well, who do you think it is?" He asked all Mr. Smarty-Pants like.

"No clue." I lied. I had to buy Pepper some time.

"The only other person would be Betty, and she and Bruce have been hanging out here a lot lately...It has to be her! What do you know! Bruce is going to have a kid! I wonder if the kid's going to be born green."

I let him go on. That's when Steve, Clint and Natasha walked in.

"Hey Capsicle. Hey lovebirds." Tony said cheerfully as he removed himself to somewhere other than here.

"He seems...happy." Steve said.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this cheerful." Clint commented.

"Yeah." Natasha agreed. "What's up with him?"

"Nothing good." I moaned.

Divine timing was on my side today as a very furious Betty walked through the door before anyone had any time to ask my why I was upset. We had only known Betty for a short time, but now we saw her angry side. It was almost as scary as the Hulk.

"Where's Tony?" She asked me through clenched teeth.

"What did he do?" I said, my head hung low. It had only taken a few seconds and he had ticked her off already.

"I just got a text from your brother saying 'Congrats on your new little miracle,'" Betty said, showing me the text. I was going to kill him.

"Little miracle?" Clint asked, his face dumbfounded. Steve and Natasha's faces revealed the same confusion.

"It's a long story." I muttered.

"What's going on?" Pepper's asked before I could say anything. Now I had no choice but to tell everyone else.

"He saw the pregnancy test." I told her. Her eyes widened. As for the other members of the team, well, I'm not really sure if they had pieced everything together yet.

"Who's pregnancy test?" Steve asked. "And what's a pregnancy test?"

"I'll tell you later." I told him and then I looked to Pepper.

"How did he...?" Pepper started.

"No clue." I responded. "But now he thinks Betty's pregnant."

"I'm surprised he hasn't called Bruce..."

"I'm going to kill him!" Bruce's voice thundered. The usually calm scientist was now just as furious as Betty. I quietly hoped he wouldn't Hulk out.

"What could he have possibly done in two minutes?" I asked.

"He just registered us at Target. Apparently he's decided it's a boy and needs an 'I Love Hulk' baby onesie." No, no, NO. This had turned into complete chaos.

"That's it." Pepper said. "I'm going to tell him."

"Tell him what?" Everyone asked in unison.

"She's the one pregnant." I told them and their mouths formed a big 'o' shape.

"Where did he go?" She asked me.

"Probably to the lab." I answered. As she went down to the lab, we all watched the screen on the security cameras and watched as she told him. He passed out.

* * *

**So tell me, what did you all think of this little...or should I say BIG curveball?**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, so I've decided to post two one-shots today. They just didn't belong together, but they were too short by themselves. Hope you like them!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
**

_Tony's P.O.V._

_"Tony, there's something I need to tell you." _Pepper's voice, usually so calm, was now shaky and uneven.

_"What?" _I responded, concerned. We were down in my lab just after I had found out that ol' Bruce and Betty were having a baby. Or so I thought.

"Tony," she took a deep breath, _"__I'm...I'm..."_

_"You're what?" _I asked, coming close to her and resting my hands reassuringly on her shoulders. _"You can tell me anything."_

_"I'm pregnant." _

That's when I passed out.

This was only a few hours ago. Now I was sitting on the roof of the Tower trying to internalize what had just happened.

I was going to be a father. Me, Tony Stark; genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Although I quickly came to the realization that I was no longer a playboy, so I had to scratch that part out. But a father? Get real!

My memories shifted to my father and I's relationship. We had never gotten along well. For one, he never told me he loved me, at least, not that I could remember. A teacher, yes, but a father he was not. I would watch other kids when Mom (Dad was always working) took me to the playground. Their fathers were out there playing with them. But mine was always absent. There was always something more important than his only kid. Early on in my childhood, I decided that when I grew up, I would never have kids so that I could never disappoint them like my Dad did.

But now I was going to be a dad. There was no turning back or changing it. Pepper, the love of my life, was carrying my, I guess our, child. The thought of being just like my father was more of a reality than ever before. What if I turned out cold and calculating just like him? What if my child followed in my same footsteps and ended up hating me?

"Tony?" Abbey's voice said softly in the midnight air. "You alright?"

"Fine." I mumbled, half-hoping she wouldn't, half-hoping she would, catch the lie. Being a Stark, she caught it right away.

"It's the baby, isn't it?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. I gave her a slight nod and looked back out into the city that was still as lively as ever underneath the starry sky.

"I never wanted to be a father." I admitted. "Not after living with Dad after all those years." She knew how I felt about him.

"But remember what you told me?" She reminded me. "You told me he made a video of himself and told you that you were his 'greatest creation.'" That was true. About two years ago when I was trying to save my life ( a long story too long to tell now), my father had left an old video that did tell me in his own special way that he did love me.

"But he never showed it when I was growing up." I said to her. "He never told me that when I was little. The only time I ever saw him show love was when he and Mom had you."

"Is that what you're afraid of? Of this baby feeling the same way you did?" She nailed it right in the center of my heart. I could only nod at the terrible truth.

"Tony, Dad loved you. He just didn't show it often. But you...you have a chance to change. You can show this child all the love in the world and be everything that Dad wasn't for you."

I looked to her and another very rare tear escaped from my eye.

"Thanks Abs." I told her and she drew me into a hug. And I felt something in that moment as she embraced me in her arms. It may have been small, but there was a feeling of hope that washed over me.

Could I do it? Could I really be a dad? I guess I would find out.

* * *

**Can Tony do it? Can he really be a dad?  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here's the second chapter of the day! This is set a couple of weeks after Tony finds out Pepper is pregnant. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_Steve's P.O.V._

I twiddled a ring restlessly in my fingers in the wee hours of the morning. But this ring was not just any ring. It was my mother's wedding ring. I had kept it after she had died and it had stayed in my personal belongings while I was in the army. Somehow S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to obtain my things and had returned them to me after I had woken up from being frozen in ice for seventy years. I continued to stare at the ring. It was small. My father wasn't a rich man, but he had given this ring to my mother with all the love that he possessed. I wanted that ring to stay in the family and be the symbol of that same love my father had had for my mother. I had promised myself when I first held it after Mom died that it would be for someone special; the one I would love with every ounce of my being and spend the rest of my life with. Abbey's face appeared in my mind and I smiled.

But it was then that I remembered someone else. Someone I hadn't seen in seventy years. I went back to the trunk filled with my belongings from all those years ago. It still had my old clothes from before the serum. I managed a small laugh as I realized how tiny they were. But in a matter of seconds, I found what I was looking for.

I pulled out a pocket watch, now old and covered in small traces of rust which revealed its true age. I clicked it open. The hands had long stopped turning and everything inside had been smothered in dust. But as I wiped away the dirt particles, I saw who I needed to see. I gasped when I saw her face again. Peggy Carter. The only other woman I had ever loved before Abbey. And she was still just as beautiful as the day I met her. Pain and sorrow filled my soul as I looked into her bright eyes. What could have been with her; all the memories, the slow dances; all had been lost because of my crash landing into that icy wasteland.

But I had to remember the present. Everything I had with Abbey; the new love that had filled my heart, was just as wonderful, if not more so than what I had had with Peggy. I knew I could let Peggy go in that moment. She would have wanted it. She would have urged me to move forward in that headstrong way of hers. It's what I loved about her the most...and one of the things I loved about Abbey. I slowly and gently closed the watch and placed it carefully back in the trunk to be revisited someday in the distant future.

Now there was but one thing left to do. Although Abbey no longer had a father, she did have a brother. And being the old-fashioned man that I was, I saw it only fitting that I ask him the most important question of my life. I needed to ask Tony if I could marry his sister.

* * *

**I almost cried writing this. It is the most emotional moment for Steve that I can imagine up to this point. I hope you all liked it! Thank you for reading!  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**Once again, I would like to thank all readers and reviewers! You always make my day. Okay, so this chapter is going to be HUGE. And I mean HUGE. It's a long chapter this time, so yea me! LOL Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_Tony's P.O.V._

"How's he doing?" I asked Pepper as I patted her belly. She was only showing a little, but still, it was fun to imagine our little guy in there. And I was really getting into this whole baby thing. I was even reading _What to Expect When You're Expecting_. Needless to say, it was interesting.

"We don't even know if it's a boy." Pepper informed me. "And don't pat my belly. It makes me feel fat."

"One, you're not fat. Two, I bet it is." I said.

"What do you have to bet?" She asked playfully, forgetting the notion that she was fat at all.

"I'll bet you a kiss." I said sweetly.

"Why bet that when I can have one right now?" Pepper said and kissed me right then and there. Golly, I loved this woman.

"True." I admitted. "Did you have any morning sickness today?"

"Not this morning. I think it's starting to go away." Pepper said with a sigh of relief.

"Finally." I was just as relieved as she was. It wasn't fun holding up her hair right before a Skype meeting while she threw up. GROSS. Oh well. The things we do for love. Am I right?

"So what's on the agenda today?"

"Another meeting, but it ought to be a short one." She replied. "Hopefully," she added and I laughed. Those wonderful meetings. How much I _didn't_ miss them.

That's when the elevator doors went _ding_.

"Who's that?" Pepper asked. "Abbey's hanging out with Clint and Natasha. And we weren't expecting anyone."

"No idea." I answered as the doors opened, only to reveal Steve. But he wasn't his usual self. He looked...nervous. Odd.

"Mrs. Stark." He gave my wife a small smile before turning to me. "I ummm...I need to talk to you."

"Anything in particular?" I asked. What could he possibly be so nervous about?

"It's...private." He didn't want to be rude to Pepper, but she understood.

"Look at the time. I think I need to go to that meeting. Bye honey." She said as she gave me a quick peck on the cheek and exited the room. That left me and Steve alone in an awkward silence.

"You might want to sit down for this one." Steve warned me. We made our way towards a couple of stuffed chairs. He looked extremely nervous now and he was fiddling with something in his fingers. Something shiny...

"Mr. Stark..."

"Tony." I corrected him.

"Right. Tony," He started again, "Abbey and I...we've been together for over a year now."

"Yes." I replied to the statement.

"And I love your sister. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone in my life." I was starting to get the drift. That shiny object in his fingers, that wasn't just any object. It was a ring. And it didn't take a genius to get where this conversation was headed. But of course, as a big brother, I decided to have a little fun with the current situation. You know, make the super soldier sweat a little.

"Yes. And what are you implying, Capsicle?" I folded my arms and my eyes formed into narrow slits. He saw him squirm under my gaze and it took all I had not to let a grin from on my lips.

"Well I...I..." He stammered like a scared little schoolboy.

"Well, spit it out." I demanded.

"I've come to ask for your permission to marry your sister." He said quickly. He looked relieved to have finally said it, but when he saw my stern gaze, he sunk in his chair. I immediately got up and walked over to him with the same expression and folded arms.

"So you want to make Abbey, my Abbey, my only sister, Mrs. Capsicle?" He looked up at me with an expression of uncertainty and fear. Now it was time for the big finale.

"Get up." I commanded him and he did so without question. I let a moment of tense silence pass between us for some dramatic effect. That was when I clapped my left hand on his shoulder and stuck out my right hand. "Welcome to the family." I said with a smile. When he realized I had just said yes he let out a big breath of air.

"What's the matter, Cap?" I asked jokingly. "Afraid I'd say no?"

"That obvious?" He asked with relief.

"Duh." I said with a little sarcasm. "I just needed to make you sweat a little. It's not often you see a super soldier get nervous." I walked over to the bar. "Want a drink?"

"Actually I would." Steve confessed. And could you blame him after what I put him through?

"So what kind of ring did you get her?"My eyes landed on the shiny object in his hand. He laid it on the bar counter and slid it over to me. It was a little thing. Too small for my tastes.

"It was my mother's." He explained. "I was hoping to put it on the woman I would marry one day." I gave him a half smile. It was perfect for Abbey. She didn't like big, glamorous objects.

"You did well." I commented. "When do you plan to pop the question?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Steve admitted. "There doesn't seem to be a perfect place to propose."

"I think I might know a place." Pepper's voice intervened. She must have been listening in on the whole thing. That's my girl.

"Where?" Steve asked. And what she suggested was perfect.

* * *

_Abbey's P.O.V._

I did up my hair for the day. I had decided to keep it down and add a few curls to it. I knew Steve loved it when I had it in curls. And since we were going out on a date tonight, it would be perfect. I chose to wear a cute, casual red dress that flowed down to my flip flops. He should be here any minute...

"Abbey?" Steve's voice echoed in the main hall of the Tower. He must have let himself in.

"Coming!" I shouted from the bathroom, making sure I didn't have anything stuck in my teeth and rushed out.

"Hey beautiful." He said as he gave me a peck on the cheek. He was wearing some of his tan pants and a red collared shirt.

"Ditto handsome." He gave me a quirky smile. But there was something weird about him. It was weird to say the word aura, but something felt off. I shoved the thought aside. It had to be just me.

"Where's Tony and Pepper?" I asked. They had just been here a few moments ago.

"I think they said something about going out to dinner." Steve replied.

"Hmmm...odd. They usually tell me when they're going out."

"Well, you know those spur of the moment cravings." Steve said with a small chuckle. That was true that Pepper had had really odd cravings lately, mostly chocolate, nachos and Chinese, but she was one to tell me if she and Tony were going anywhere.

"Ready to go?" He asked, keeping my mind off the subject and I nodded.

"Where are we going?" I asked. We usually made up our own dates as we went along, so it wasn't anything unusual. It was his turn to pick where to go tonight.

"I was thinking..."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to surprise you." He told me and I raised an eyebrow. A surprise?

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see." He responded cryptically.

"Ok..." I agreed.

"But first, to make sure it's a surprise, you'll need this." He pulled out a bandanna out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry, are you executing me tonight?" He laughed.

"Of course not." He responded as he blindfolded me.

"Ummm...I kind of need to walk." I said in the darkness.

"Don't worry. I'll carry you." Oh goodness. He was going to carry me to God knows where. Was he kidnapping me or something? Not that I minded. Actually, being kidnapped by the world's only super-soldier seemed quite exciting. The next thing I knew, he picked me up and was carrying me to the elevator. The only reason I knew it was the elevator was because it dinged.

"Have a good evening Miss Stark, Captain Rogers." JARVIS said as the elevator shifted.

"Bye JARVIS." We responded in unison.

"So...this is awkward." I said in the silence of the elevator.

"Not really." Steve commented.

"You don't call blindfolding your girlfriend and carrying her in an elevator weird?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Nope." He responded rather cheerfully as the elevator dinged again. A rush of wind hit my face as Steve started to walk.

"Ummm...Steve. Where are we?" I asked curiously.

"The top of the Tower." He responded.

That was when I heard the sound of something whirring, like a helicopter about to take off.

"Again, what's going on?" I asked him. Why was he leaving me so in the dark? Quite literally and figuratively.

"I told you, it's a surprise." He said again with a very happy tone.

That's when I felt myself being hoisted up and placed in a seat.

"It's going to be a while before I can take this blindfold off, isn't it?" I asked. I took the silence as a 'yes' and gave up any hope of being able to see for the next few hours. I felt sorry for anyone who was blind at this moment. I felt what I assumed was the helicopter take off and for the next few minutes, there was silence.

"Abbey," Steve broke the silence, "you know you mean the world to me, right?" The tone in his voice was so uncertain this time.

"Steve, I've never doubted that for a second." I told him. What was going on? Was he breaking up with me?

_Of course he's not. He wouldn't tell you you mean the world to him and then break up with you!_ The voice inside my head screamed at me, but some part of me felt so unsure.

The silence came again and I decided to let it continue. I think it was an hour before I felt the helicopter land and then it grew eerily quiet.

"We're here." He informed me as he took my hand and helped me half-walk, half-stumble my way off the helicopter. I felt the _squish-squish_ of soft ground beneath me.

"Where are we?" I asked again.

"I'll tell you in a minute." He said as he picked me up in his arms again.

"Again." I moaned and he chuckled.

"Again." He repeated. I was about to play the 'Are We There Yet?' game when he finally set me down.

"Now you can take the blindfold off." Steve said to me. As I undid the blindfold, I gasped at the scene around me. The beach. That was where we were at. And the sun was setting, mixing deep purples and pinks together to create a scene so breathtaking that it was beyond words. But what left me speechless was not the beautiful sunset or the ocean view, but Steve. He was standing there in front of me, a goofy and nervous grin on his face. That grin reminded me so much of the date when I had received my first kiss. We had both been so nervous, especially Steve. But this date surpassed that one by leaps and bounds.

"Uhh..." I didn't know what to say. It was amazing, but I had no clue what the occasion was for.

"Abbey." He said, pulling out his hand. I gently took it.

"Steve, what are you..." He cut me off.

"Trust me." He said as he lowered himself to one knee. That's when I realized what was happening.

"Steve." I said softly, my heart now pulsing furiously.

"Abbey Stark, I love you with all of my heart. I don't know why God would send me someone as wonderful as you, but I thank him each day for every moment I get to spend with you."

My heart skipped a beat. I had come to believe in God after a long time, even more so after I had met Steve.

"Oh, Steve." I said, my eyes brimming with tears of joy.

"You have changed everything about my life. And I realize that I couldn't live without you. So, Abbey Stark, would you do me the honor of being my wife?" He pulled out a ring, small in size, but perfect for me.

"Yes." I managed to choke out past a few tears. He gladly slipped it on my finger and stood up, still holding my hand.

"This ring was my mother's." He told me. "I promised myself it would go to the woman I would marry one day." I blushed when I realized he was talking about me.

"Steve." I said again and I pulled him into a kiss. I didn't have any other words to express what I felt other than that. But I think he got the message.

"How did I do?" He asked as we broke apart.

"I thought I already established that." I said with a giggle, but I realized he wasn't talking me to me...at least not directly.

"Perfect Capsicle!" My brother's voice boomed, making the very secluded beach anything but quiet.

"What?" I asked, surprised when I saw him walking down towards us.

"We were watching the whole thing." Clint's voice echoed through the atmosphere. That's when I saw the whole lot of them. Tony, Clint, Bruce, Betty, Pepper and Natasha appear from who knows where.

"I should have known." I said, but I was happy about it. Who better to share our engagement with?

"Yep." Tony said. "But thank Pepper. This was all her idea."

Pepper smiled warmly at me and before I knew it, I was hugging her.

"Thank you." I told her.

"Anything for my sister." She replied happily.

"Way to go, Cap." Clint said, smacking Steve's back.

"When did you all get here?" I asked curiously.

"Who do you think flew the helicopter?" Clint said, referring to himself and gesturing towards Natasha.

"It was hard keeping quiet though." Tony said. "Bruce kept hogging the seat in the back."

"I did not." Bruce grumbled.

"I had to threaten to smack Tony just to keep them from fighting." Pepper put in.

"And I almost did." Natasha said, eying my brother tentatively and I laughed.

"You wouldn't do it." Tony said, which was a very stupid move because she immediately smacked him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" He howled and Natasha grinned.

"Well, you asked for it." Bruce informed him and Tony gave him a dangerous glare.

"And while we're at it, here's for almost telling the whole world I was pregnant." Betty smacked him on the other shoulder. Pepper didn't seem to mind and Bruce was almost doubling over with laughter, as were the others.

"You're all mean!" Tony pouted as he rubbed his sore shoulders.

"Awww. Poor big brother." I said, faking any sort of sympathy.

"Yeah, yeah." Tony said.

"So, when are we going to eat? I'm starving!" Clint exclaimed.

"You just had three Snickers bars on the way here!" Natasha said. "With all the food you're eating, I'm beginning to think you're pregnant." We all stared at Clint now.

"I'm not me when I'm hungry." He stated as he shifted his gaze to the sky to avoid any of our questioning stares.

"Well, he is on the ball. I'm certainly hungry." Bruce stated.

"I think we should have shawarma!" Tony bellowed and it was followed by a quick "no!" by everyone. I think their shawarma cravings had been watered down, thank goodness.

But that night as we went out and celebrated, everyone laughing and having a good time, I felt like the happiest person on earth. I had nothing short of the greatest family and now, a fiancee. My life could not get any better.

* * *

**PLEASE tell me what you all think! This is the biggest chapter yet in this saga! Thank you all for reading!  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Warning: This chapter contains fluff! And I love it! I hope you do too! Once again, thank you all for reviewing!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

It had been a week since Steve had proposed and we still hadn't decided on a date for the wedding. At the moment, we were sitting on the couch and arguing over which month we wanted to have the event.

"I want to have it in August." I said. The thought of a beach wedding made me absolutely swoon.

"December." Steve argued. "I love winter weddings."

"Umm no." I said immediately. "You're not going to be the one wearing a dress in freezing snow and blistering wind."

"I'll keep you warm." Steve said, wrapping his arms around me and I blushed.

"Of course you would." I said. "Now, August."

"December."

"Why are you two shouting out random months of the year?" Bruce entered the living room.

"We're trying to figure out when to have the wedding." Steve answered. "And I say December."

"August." I countered.

"She'll freeze to death if she's wearing a dress in December." Bruce pointed out and I looked up at Steve.

"See?" I said and he rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of wedding dresses...don't you have an appointment today?" Bruce asked me. This was true. Pepper and I were going to go pick out a dress...or at least look for one today.

"Yep. Pepper should be here any time..."

"I'm here." Pepper said as she graciously entered the room in a grey pencil dress and heels, but she was going to have to replace her tighter business clothes with maternity wear soon. She was staring to show and I didn't know how long she would put off wearing a looser wardrobe.

"Did you persuade him to have an August wedding yet?" She asked and I shook my head sadly.

"Why August? I thought you wanted to get married this year and that's a little more than a month away." Steve said.

"For one, Pepper wants it in August because she's doesn't want to show off all of Tony Jr." We had somehow concluded that this baby was going to be a boy. It was kind of a given since the past few Stark generations had had a firstborn boy.

"Don't make me sport a full-term baby under my dress." Pepper warned Steve.

"Awww...but I thought Junior should have a part in the wedding." Tony interceded as he walked in the room and patted her belly.

"Will you stop doing that? It makes me feel fat." Poor Pepper. She was feeling so insecure about having a baby poke out from her thin frame.

"Once again, you are not, may I repeat, NOT fat." Tony assured her.

"I'll be due in December, so I really don't want to look like I have a basketball under here." Pepper said to Steve.

"Exactly. So I think August is perfect." I concluded.

"I'd still like a December wedding." Steve pressed and we all groaned.

"What's everyone moaning and groaning about?" Natasha said as she and Clint walked in. Natasha was coming with Pepper and I to help pick out a dress. She was going to be my maid of honor since Pepper was going to have a hard time standing with sore ankles. No woman should have to go through that kind of torture.

"Steve." I said as I glared at my fiancee accusingly.

"All because I want a December wedding." He grumbled.

"She'll freeze in a dress in December." Natasha said. "And so will I for that matter."

Steve groaned as I unleashed at least a half-dozen "I told you-so's."

"What month do you want then?" Clint asked.

"August. And a beach wedding." I informed him.

"That sounds great...and much warmer." I laughed at his response. He was going to be Steve's best man since Natasha was going to be my maid of honor.

"Church wedding." Steve said and we all groaned once more.

"There's only one way to settle this," Bruce, as the group mediator, spoke up.

"And what would you suggest, bud?" Tony asked.

"A harrowing game of Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"Oh, please..." Tony started, but I cut him off.

"Actually, that just might work." Everyone looked at me.

"Really? The month of your wedding decided by a silly game?" Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Got any better ideas?" I asked.

"I was thinking a game of dodge ball..." Clint started.

"NO!" We all shouted in unison. We had played dodge ball down in the gym of the Tower a few days ago and it couldn't have been worse. Bruce had gotten a black eye, I had been hit in the head twice, and Natasha had almost strangled Clint for nearly hitting her in the face.

"Touchy." He said, avoiding eye contact with us.

"Alright, so any better ideas anybody?" I asked. Not one word was said, so I looked to Bruce.

"Well, ref, we're in need of your assistance." He took the position with ease.

"Alright you two, hands at the ready." We both formed our hands into fists and prepared ourselves. "Go." He ordered.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" We yelled. Steve howled in frustration as I pulled out a rock to smash his scissors.

"Sucker." I said evilly and he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Game's not over yet, kids. Round two!" Bruce said.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" It was my turn to growl when his paper covered my rock.

"Yes!" Steve said in triumph.

"Round three!"

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Steve whooped in joy as his rock crushed my scissors.

"No!" I shouted.

"NO!" Pepper's cry quickly followed. Now she'd really be pregnant at our wedding.

"Come on, girls. A church wedding in December. Doesn't that sound just lovely?" Steve smiled at us. We, as in Pepper, Natasha, and I, were ready to kill him. Bitter, freezing December...in dresses.

"I guess we'd better go find a dress." Pepper said, a little disappointed in our loss.

"Hey, at least everyone will be able to see Tony Jr. at the wedding." Tony joked and Pepper shot him a glare.

"Shut up." She mouthed as we made our way out the door.

**Later...**

"How did dress shopping go?" Tony asked us as we came back. The guys were all chilling out in the living room. Steve and Bruce were playing at the pool table we had just moved in and Clint and Tony were watching TV.

"No luck." Pepper responded. And that was true. I had tried on at least ten dresses and they were all the same; ugly.

"Sorry, dear." Steve said apologetically.

"And what were you guys doing all day?" Natasha inquired.

"Watching the tennis match." Clint said. "You really get into it after a while." I saw Natasha raise an eyebrow at him. He didn't seem the tennis-lover type.

"There was nothing else on." Tony explained and then turned back to the TV. Pepper and Natasha joined them out of pure boredom.

Not really caring for sports, I made my way over to my room to grab something.

"Ms. Stark," JARVIS addressed me while I was in my room, "if it's a dress you're looking for, there is one in the basement."

"What?" I asked him.

"There's a dress in the basement." He repeated.

The thought of a dress in the basement intrigued me. If JARVIS had suggested it, maybe it was worth looking into. No one would even notice I was gone. I walked over to another elevator and made my way down towards the basement. The doors opened and the room was filled with all of Tony's prized cars and behind some of the walls hid the Iron Man suits. But there was no dress.

"Walk over to the north wall, Ms. Stark." JARVIS told me. I did so and found a door I had never noticed before. I tried pulling on the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "You need to give a finger and eye identification." JARVIS informed me. When I did so, the door opened.

I gaped at what was in there. Boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. But there were some items that were out, including a baby bed that had been collecting dust for a while now. I noticed that some of the boxes were partially opened. One in particular was filled with baby toys, which was surprising. Why was that down here?

"The dress is in that trunk over there." JARVIS said and I looked to find an old wooden trunk christened with a thick layer of dust. I opened it and found a black and white picture of Mom and Dad sitting on top. It must have been their wedding photo because Mom was in a wedding dress. It was a gown made of lace and full-length sleeves. I had to admit, it was quite beautiful. I smiled at the old picture.

That was when I looked at what the other items that lay beneath the picture. I gasped as I realized it was the same dress from the wedding photo. I carefully took the dress out of the trunk. Not a speck of dust and not a trace of aging.

"It was Mom's wedding dress." Tony said and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned around and looked at him in surprise.

"I didn't know you were down here." I said and he chuckled.

"I can tell." He smirked and then walked over to me. "These are all of our old things." He explained as he looked around. He made his way over to the crib. "This was your baby bed." He wiped off a smear of dust and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. That's when I realized that the baby toys in the box were probably mine as well. He probably couldn't bear to part with them, even after all those years I had been missing. I would have to come down here with him again and look at the other old belongings. But not now. Tony walked back over to me and took a look at the dress.

"Not a speck of age." He commented. By the look in his eyes, I could tell he was thinking of Mom and Dad. I was filled with a pang of regret as well. I'd never get to know Mom or Dad. Mom never get to meet Steve or help me prepare for my wedding. And Dad would never get to walk me down the aisle. I felt a few tears roll down my cheeks as the loss suddenly became very real.

As if we both knew what the other was thinking, we held each other in that moment. It was a pain that we both shared. One thing we had lost that we could never get back.

"I miss them." I said softly.

"I know." He replied. "So do I."

There were a few moments of silence that passed in-between, but slowly, the pain started to ebb away and we could bear to look at the photo and dress again.

"I want to wear it." I told him, referring to the dress.

"I think...that's a great idea." He said, a smile creeping its way onto his face "Go try it on. I want to see how it fits."

He exited the room and I gently put on the dress. I was amazed at how well it fit my frame. And as I looked at my reflection in Mom and Dad's wedding picture, I realized I looked just like Mom.

* * *

**I absolutely loved the idea of Abbey wearing her mother's dress. ****What do you think, folks?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Okay, so this person never had a spot in the story before, so he deserves a spot now! And for the first time ever, a P.O.V. of the great Natasha Romanoff! I'm so happy to be back online. I didn't have Internet for three days. It was torture! Hope you all like!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

It was, quite literally, a dark and stormy night. Two months had passed since I had found my wedding dress and it was now nearing the end of August. Tony and Pepper had gone out for dinner...Chinese, I believe. Another one of Pepper's cravings. Clint and Natasha were doing whatever they did when they had their days off; more than likely enjoying each others company without the fear of rampaging bullets would be my guess. Steve and I, however, were enjoying a quiet evening at Stark Tower. As the wind howled and the rain splattered against the windows, we were both snuggled under a blanket, my head propped on his shoulder, whilst we read some of our favorite books. He was reading _The Giver_, which he found quite interesting, and I was reading a book called _East_, a fiction novel filled with magic and teensy bits of Norse mythology. A giant flash of lightning appeared and it lashed across the sky, followed by a quick crack that sent me throwing up my book in fright. Steve started to chuckle and I glared at him.

"And what, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied, his eyes humerus. Seeing that I was not amused, he quickly changed the subject.

"How about I make us some hot chocolate? It might take the edge off." Yeah, sure. Try to get yourself out of trouble now, soldier.

"That would be nice." I replied, giving him a small smile to let him know he was off the hook. But I could hear him releasing a few bouts of laughter from the kitchen.

I had almost succumbed back to a peaceful state when another flash of lightning came, followed by the same loud crack. I snorted.

"Ha. I'm not scared of you anymore." I told the storm, as if it could make up some sort of witty response. However, I was unprepared for what was to happen next. In a matter of seconds, what had been a perfectly good window was now shattered into a bazillion pieces on the floor. Not only that, but there was a freakishly huge man standing in the way of the window. He was wearing an out-of-this-world wardrobe and medium length blond hair. He also had a huge hammer in his hand, which, combined with his huge muscles, made me want to flip out. I quickly got off the couch, reading to defend myself.

"Stand back, or I'll throw!" I said, holding up my flimsy paperback book. I could only imagine how pathetic I looked right now. The man only laughed and came closer.

"Where is the Man of Iron?" He inquired, stopping not but ten feet from me. I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?"

"Where is the Man of Iron?" He repeated as if I was some dumb kid. Man of Iron?

"Iron Man?" I inquired and he nodded.

"Yes. Where is he?"

"Abbey!" I heard Steve's voice as he suddenly entered the room. "I heard a crash and I..." He came to a screeching halt and his eyes widened as he saw the huge man standing before him.

"Thor?" He asked in surprise.

"Thor?" I said in confusion.

"Oh, yes. I forgot to introduce myself." The man started. "I am Thor, of Asgard." He said as he took my hand and kissed it lightly. I blushed.

"Pleasure to meet you." I said. "Abbey Stark."

"Lady Stark." He said as if he was realizing something. "You are a relative of the Man of Iron?" I nodded.

"She's his sister." Steve explained. The big man smiled, and, without a second to lose, embraced me in a tight hug.

"Wonderful!" He shouted boisterously.

"Can't...breathe." I choked out.

"Thor, I think you're killing her." Another voice said from behind. It was a woman, one with hazelnut hair and a thin frame. She appeared from the broken window. How? I have no clue. But she appeared friendly.

"I'm sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes." He chuckled as he set me down.

"He does...all the time." The woman confirmed with a giggle. "Who are you?"

"This is Abbey Stark, sister of the Man of Iron." Thor introduced us.

"Iron Man." The lady corrected him before looking back at me. "I'm Jane. Jane Foster Odinson, but on Earth I am known as Jane Foster." Of course. Tony had told me about the two of them. Jane had been a scientist, but had moved to Asgard to be with Thor.

"I've heard loads about your work. I must say, I am quite impressed." I told her. I had been a faithful follower of her work at MIT until she had somehow disappeared from Earth.

She smiled. "Thank you. Are you a scientist?"

"Not really. Just a robotics engineer, but I still find your work interesting."

"I see." She said, then turned to Steve. "I think we've forgot someone."

"It's alright, ma'am." Steve said, putting out his hand to shake hers. "Captain Steve Rogers." When it was returned, he walked beside and pulled his arm around me.

"So, where is the Man of Iron?" Thor, completely forgetting Jane's correction, asked.

"He's out with his wife, Pepper." I replied.

"They finally got married? How wonderful!" Thor bellowed joyously. "I shall hope to soon meet Lady Pepper!"

"I just hope he doesn't freak out about the window..." I was cut off by a loud yell.

"What is going on?!" Tony's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"We all turned to find both him and Pepper standing in shock at the window and the people standing in front of it. Yet somehow, Pepper retained a calm demeanor.

"Thor, Jane, so lovely to see you." She said pleasantly as she greeted them, ignoring the rain that was now pelting her.

"My window." Was all Tony could say.

"Call someone to fix it." She ordered, which he did immediately. Meanwhile, Steve finished fixing up a few more batches of hot chocolate to warm up our guests.

"You could have used the elevator, you know." Steve said and Thor laughed.

"I sometimes forget about doors."

"Maybe you should think about using one." Tony mumbled as he sipped on some hot chocolate.

"But what an entrance!" I exclaimed and they all laughed.

"I'll say." Clint's voice echoed across the room.

"How did you..." Natasha cut me off.

"We have cameras everywhere, don't you know?" She smirked.

"Of course. How could I forget?" I said with a small face-palm to the head.

"Spider of Widow and Eye of Hawk! It is good to see you!" He embraced them and it looked as if he were about to suffocate them too.

"Thor!" Jane reminded him and he dropped them.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly.

"It's alright. Just Clint and Natasha though, alright?" Clint said and Thor agreed.

"You have such strange names here." He commented.

"Thor isn't all that common here either." I told him.

"Touché." Tony said as he pointed his finger at me.

"I see you are expecting." Thor pointed out as he looked at Pepper's protruding belly.

"Yes." She said as she placed her hand there. She had decided to keep the baby's sex a mystery until the birth, which was driving Tony and I crazy. I think she got some sort of evil pleasure holding out until the end.

"How far along?" Jane asked in excitement.

"Five months."

"You must be so excited." She said to Tony and Pepper.

"Yep. Fruit of my loins should be making its way out soon." Tony replied happily. Pepper only rolled her eyes and tried to redirect the conversation.

"So, where will you two be staying?" She asked Thor and Jane.

"We were hoping..." But Pepper caught on quickly.

"Of course you can stay here."

"Oh no." Tony said in worry. "I can see all the broken windows now..."

"Tony." Pepper scolded.

"Fine. Mr. and Mrs. Point Break can stay. Just no more broken windows." Thor smirked.

"Agreed."

"But how long...will you be staying?" Tony asked curiously.

"Until our baby arrives." Tony started choking on his hot chocolate and we all looked at them in shock.

"You...you're having a baby?" Natasha asked.

"What is this, baby central?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Shouldn't you, you know, be at home for something like this?" Pepper inquired. "Your family must want to see the baby."

"Asgard is in hostility with an enemy at this time. I cannot risk any dangers for this little one on the way." Thor replied. "If war arises, Jane will stay here and I will go to fight, but until then, we are safer here." As if we were up to date on Asgardian current events.

"Well then, please feel free to make yourselves at home. There is guest space on the twenty-first floor." Tony informed them.

""How do we get there? Do we bust through the floor?" Thor asked.

"NO!" We all yelled, as if he might do it at that very moment.

"There's an elevator, dear." Jane said tiredly.

"Elevator?" He asked in confusion.

"Let me show you." She said as she showed him where it was and they disappeared from sight.

**Natasha's P.O.V.**

It really wasn't supposed to happen. Yes, Clint and I had been together for quite a while...even together before we were together; when we were partners at S.H.I.E.L.D. But we were way beyond that now.

"Nat?" Clint knocked on the door lightly and peeked into my room. He knew. He had known for a week now, and we still hadn't told a soul.

"I'm fine." I told him, but he knew I was anything but fine.

"It's alright you know...what's happened, I mean." He reassured me as he sat on the bed beside me.

"I don't know. I'm so unsure. What if..."

"I've had my doubts too. I don't know if I can..."

"Of course you can. You'll be natural. But I...my past...I don't know how."

"I know you can. You're the great Natasha Romanoff. You can do anything." As great as the compliment was, my own insecurities still lingered.

"Clint, what do you want, if you had to choose, I mean?" He knew what I was asking.

"A boy." The thought of a little boy running around that looked just like him made me smile.

"And you?" He asked.

"I don't care, as long as it likes me." He smirked.

"You're going to be a great mom."

"And you're going to a wonderful father." There was a moment of silence.

"So...when do we tell them?"

"The team?" He nodded. "I don't know. Whenever they discover it, I guess. Stark has a way of weaseling his way into our personal lives." He snorted.

"He should make that his second job." I laughed.

"Well, darn it." I said aloud in sudden realization.

"What?" Clint asked.

"I have to tell Abbey quickly. I'm going to be showing when I'm at the wedding!"

* * *

**Did you like my little surprise at the end? And do you think they're going to be great parents?  
**


	27. Chapter 27

**Good morning to those of you in the same time frame as me! And good whatever-hour-of-the-day-it-is to those of you who are not! Be sure to tell me what you all think of this chapter! Thank you for reading! And, as a precautionary measure, I do not own the Avengers, just Abbey.  
**

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**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"You're kidding." I said, completely flabbergasted. That's right; flabbergasted.

"It's true." Natasha confirmed and I sat back in my chair.

"What did you all do, have a meeting and decide to have kids?" She laughed.

"I think that would be a little weird, don't you?" She asked.

"So is most of the Avengers having kids all at the same time." She had to give me credit for that one.

"When are you due?" I asked curiosity.

"Late February, possibly early March."

"You're definitely going to be showing at the wedding." I told her.

"Don't remind me." She sounded irritated about the whole ordeal.

"But don't be mad about it. This is a good thing." I reminded her. She gave me a faint smile.

"How's Clint taking it?"

"Have you seen him lately? He's floating on air." It was true. I, as well as the other members of the team, were perplexed by Clint's more cheerful than normal demeanor.

"Do you two...you know...want to get married?"

"He hasn't proposed, if that's what you're asking." She replied.

"But you want him to ask, don't you?" She was quiet for a moment.

"Since when could you read my mind so easily?"

"I've been around you longer than most people."

"True." She admitted. "Anyways, I don't think he'll ask me."

"Why not?" I asked. "He absolutely adores you."

"Yes, but he's not that type. He's...Clint."

Little did I know, we had a little intruder; one stealthy archer who smiled at the opportunity to prove his favorite little spider wrong.

**Later...**

"You're kidding." Tony said in complete disbelief. Him, Pepper, and I were sitting in the living room that evening for some family time.

"Nope." I told him. "Not at all."

"What happened? Everyone secretly decided after they found out that we were having a baby that they wanted some of their own?" Pepper asked sarcastically. Tony chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders.

"We are quite the trendsetters." Pepper rolled her eyes and stared at her belly.

"Yes, because everyone wants to wear this."

"You pull off the look." I told her. "You have that pregnancy glow." She gave me a look that said 'thank you.' Although she hated being pregnant, it was good for her to know that she looked good while doing it.

"But don't you be getting any ideas!" Tony pointed his finger at me and we all busted out laughing.

"Because I totally want a baby right after I get married." I said sarcastically.

"Steve Jr. does have a certain ring to it, don't you think?" He joked and I lightly shoved him.

"If you say a word to him, I'll knock you into next week."

"Oooooo...I'm so scared." He teased. That's when my phone rang with a text.

"Who's that?" Pepper asked. I looked at the message and I grinned ear to ear.

"You're not going to believe this." I said excitedly as I handed Pepper the phone. She squealed in delight.

"How wonderful!"

"What are you women getting all worked up about?" Tony snatched the phone and laughed.

"Ol' bird brain finally popped the question. Nice ring too." I swiped the phone back.

"Oh, wow." I said as she sent another text.

"What now?" Tony asked.

"They got married."

"What?!" Pepper exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat. "Without us?!"

"Just kidding." She glared at me. "They are getting married, and they want us at the court house pronto."

"I don't have a nice dress to wear for the occasion!" Maternity wear didn't really suit her fashionable tastes.

"Just wear something nice. It'll be nothing like Thor's Asgardian wardrobe." I reminded her.

"Fine." She consented. I called up Steve and we met him at the courthouse, along the rest of the team.

"I couldn't believe it when I got the text." Bruce told us. "They never seemed the type to get married."

"They are quite unpredictable pair." Steve said.

"Hey, what are you guys doing standing out there?!" Clint peeped his head out of the courtroom door. "We're waiting for you!"

We quickly filed ourselves into the courtroom and there stood Natasha in a lovely scarlet dress that accentuated her fiery red hair. Clint looked like he was walking on air as he stood beside her in front of the judge with a dress jacket,some jeans and a bow tie. I could imagine what the judge was thinking right now, standing in front of the Avengers and their partners in the middle of the night; one of the audience five months pregnant, the bride barely showing, Thor wearing his outrageous wardrobe with his wife who was several months along. He must think we were a cult or weirdos or something.

At first, Clint and Natasha looked nervous, especially Natasha. This was a big step for them. They had gone from work partners to boyfriend/girlfriend, to marriage. What a way they had come. And for a moment, I almost wondered if they would go through with it.

But as the vows started, their love was more apparent than ever. Natasha gave him a small side-grin and Clint's eyes were brighter than I had ever seen them in all the time I'd known him. A matching pair, I'd say.

"Mr. Barton, you may now kiss your bride." The judge said and, believe me, what came next was as big a shock for us as it was for Natasha. He literally swooped her off her feet and kissed her on the lips.

"Way to go, Clint!" I heard Tony yell and Thor cheer whilst Pepper and Jane rolled their eyes in embarrassment, but quickly refocused themselves on the now very flushed Natasha. As the two made their way down the courtroom aisle, Tony whispered in my ear, "They're gonna love their new ride."

"What did you do?" He grinned evilly.

"You'll see." This didn't sound good.

As we followed them out of the courthouse, I, as well as the others, could see what havoc Tony had planned. How he did it in the amount of time allowed, I have no clue. The car of the newlyweds not only had cans attached to the bumper, but whipped cream on the handles and the back windshield read: Lovebirds. Finally married.

"Tony..." Clint growled, quickly pinpointing the troublemaker. Tony smirked with content.

"Me? Whatever do you mean?" Natasha looked ready to kill.

"Not on your wedding day." Pepper told Natasha and she calmed,

"When we come back from the honeymoon, it's on Stark." Natasha told him coolly, but inside, she was concocting some evil scheme.

"I certainly hope you don't have any other surprises." I told Tony as they got in the car.

"No, I don't think..." That's when a loud fart rang through the crisp air.

"TONY!"

"Whoops. Forgot about the whoopie cushions." Tony muttered. "Sorry!" He yelled and took off before the two agents had a chance to nab him.

* * *

**Yes, definitely a Tony thing with decorating the car!  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**So this is a SUPER short chapter that is just for fun!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"Blue and silver."

"Red and green."

"Blue."

"Red."

"Silver."

"Green."

"Steve, the colors of our wedding are going to be blue and silver." I told my fiancée sternly.

"But I really love the classic red and green." Steve said.

"You're getting a church wedding in the middle of winter. The least you can do is let me pick out the honeymoon and everything else." He sighed. He knew I was right, especially when the location and season of our wedding should have been my choice to begin with.

"Fine." He gave in with a small smile. "Blue and silver it is."

"Thank you, dear." I said and gave him a small peck on the cheek. I hadn't told him yet that our honeymoon was going to be at the beach. Since I hadn't gotten a beach wedding, I would at least get my honeymoon on the beach.

"At least you let her pick out something." Natasha said as she entered in the room. She was now four months along, Pepper at seven and Jane somewhere around six. Yeah, we had a bunch of hormonal pregnant women at the Tower.

"I'll say." Pepper hobbled in behind her, along with Jane. "Steve, can you fetch me some water?"

"Me too." Jane and Natasha said simultaneously. It was odd. If one wanted water, they all wanted water. If one wanted schwarma, they all want schwarma. Steve sighed and quickly grabbed some bottled water for the three women.

"Could you turn up the air too? It's hot in here." Jane said. He rushed over to the thermostat and changed the temp to about sixty-five. There was a few minutes of relaxed silence. A few, mind you, before the boys came in.

"It's freezing in here!" Tony exclaimed as he, as well as Clint and Thor and Bruce, came in.

"Yes, the temperatures of this abode are quite uncomfortable." Thor agreed.

"You try being pregnant." Pepper snapped, which was very unlike her.

"Sorry, honey." Tony said as he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I forget that Tony Jr. is a handful."

"Very." She replied as she looked at her giant belly. "Tony, can you massage my feet?" He squirmed a bit at the idea. Being near someone else's feet made him queasy.

"Yes, dear." He replied and the guys laughed at him. But their amusement didn't last for long.

"Speaking of which," Natasha wasn't about to miss an opportunity like this,"Clint, my shoulders need rubbed." Clint's smiling was immediately wiped off his face and he consented to the task.

"Thor, my pillow needs fluffed." Jane said.

"It's times like these I'm glad Betty's not pregnant." Bruce muttered quietly to us and I stifled a giggle. Bruce and Betty were taking it slow, but serious. Betty was off at a meeting somewhere in Indiana, leaving him alone for the week.

"Probably not for long, the way things are going." Steve laughed at my joke and Bruce seemed a little fearful.

"Bite your tongue." He warned, as if there was some mysterious curse I could lay on him. I grinned mischievously.

"What's the matter, Bruce? Afraid of a little tike running around the Tower?" He glared at me.

"Like I said, bite your tongue." He repeated.

"Bruce, can you fetch us some watermelon?" Jane asked. "I haven't had some in ages. There are none of Asgard, you know." She informed us.

"It's October. They're not in season." Bruce replied. "The only place you could probably find them now is in Mexico." Jane blinked at him.

"Tony, how about you and Bruce go fetch us some watermelon?" Pepper suggested. I could tell the mere talk of the fruit was making her crave it more.

"What?!" Tony spoke up, getting up from massaging her feet. "I am not going to Mexico to get watermelon."

Pepper smiled sweetly and gracefully got up from the couch.

"Tony." She said softly as she stroked his neck. For a moment all was well, up until she pinched his shoulder between her thumb and forefinger, in which he yelped in pain "Please go get us some watermelon." He looked from the hungry pregnant women, to their poor lovers, and then to Bruce.

"Come on, buddy, we're going to Mexico." However, not only did Tony and Bruce take off, but the others were right on their heels.

"Dear, I think I'm going to join them." Steve said quietly before giving me a slight peck on the cheek and running off as quick as humanly possible.

"And that's how it's done." Pepper said triumphantly as she resumed her place on the couch.

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**Like a boss, Pepper! I remember watching _Full House_ (which I do NOT own!) in which a bunch of pregnant women crave this fruit. Got to love that watermelon! Hope you liked!  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**Ladies and gentlemen, this story is about to get better. MUCH better. Read to find out!  
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**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

The cold, December wind numbed my face as I sat up on the roof of the Tower. Although cold out, the streets of New York City were still lined with cars at least a mile long. Even with all the commotion below, there was a silence up here that was just as chilling as the winter weather. I couldn't believe it was the night before my wedding. The rehearsal dinner was over, the dresses and tuxes were ready, and the decorations were set. Now all that was left was the ceremony. Everyone had seemed so happy during the wedding rehearsal, like everything was perfect. And so had I up until I had tried to go to sleep a few hours ago.

Every time I closed my eyes, images of Mom and Dad came into my thoughts. I now clicked open the locked with my mother's initials and stared at the picture of my family when I was just a baby. Looking at my parents...it hurt. They weren't going to be here on the most important day of my life. Dad wouldn't be there to give me away and Mom wouldn't be sitting in the pew crying because her baby girl had grown up. They would be gone...like they had always been. It shouldn't have been much of a shock to me, not after all they had missed already. They were never present when I took my first steps, never there when I had my first day of school, completely absent when I went away to college. But even though they had gone throughout my whole life, why did it hurt so much that they weren't here for this day?

"Why did they have to die?" I asked aloud to no one. There was a cold silence that followed. I glanced over at the ring that Steve had given me. It had that beautiful antique look to it, one that I admired. I looked at Mom in the photo.

"You would have loved him, you know." I told her. "He's perfect."

As I stared into her eyes, there was an overwhelming sense of peace that clung in that midnight air. It was beyond my understanding, but from that time on, it didn't hurt as much to think of my parents. The pain of not having them around was not as intense, and the regret was not so powerful. What could have been was long gone and the present was all that I had. It was a time to fill my life with memories with my new family, and enjoy my life to the fullest with those I loved most. Tomorrow, I knew, was going to be one of the best days of my life.

**The Wedding Day**

I looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like I had just walked off the cover of a bridal magazine. My makeup was on, my hair was in done up in curls and pulled up, only a few strands curving around my cheeks. My dress, as well as my veil, was on. My mother's locket hung around my neck, completing the ensemble perfectly.

"Wow." I breathed and Pepper laughed lightly.

"You look beautiful." She told me, her hands placed on my shoulders and looking at my reflection in the mirror.

"Steve's going to be speechless." Natasha assured me.

"Thank you both for doing this. Especially while you're pregnant." We all laughed. Pepper was due any moment and Natasha was definitely showing, more than most women at six months. There had been a tiny surprise when she and Clint had gone to the doctor a month ago. Not only was she pregnant, but she and Clint were having twins. A boy and a girl. Clint had fainted. And when word spread about that little incident, Tony had gotten a real laugh out of that. It had earned him a sweet little pie in the face later that day. Anyways, we had had to adjust some dress sizes by leaps and bounds, but it was worth it in the end.

"At least you don't have to stand." Natasha told Pepper.

"Sorry." I said guiltily.

"I've faced rampaging bullets and killer aliens. I think I can deal with some sore ankles for twenty minutes." She told me and I let out a laugh.

"I am truly grateful." I told her sincerely.

There was a knock on the door.

"It's time, ladies." Tony's voice said and I gave out a large breath.

"I'll see you out there." Pepper told me, giving me a hug. We both looked to Natasha.

"We know you're not one for hugs, but..." I told Natasha.

"I suppose just this once." She consented and we hugged.

"Thank you for everything." She smiled at me and left the room, leaving only Tony and I behind.

"You ready?" Tony asked. He could see my nervousness easily.

"Yes." I said. "Are you?"

"Absolutely." He replied and offered out his arm. "May I escort you down the aisle?"

"Of course." I said as I took it. The wedding felt like a blur. The music started and the walk down the aisle began. I'm sure there were people sitting in the pews, but you couldn't have told me who they were or what they looked like. My eyes were on the person I could only have dreamed of meeting years ago; Steve. I sucked in a breath as those dazzling eyes entranced me once more. When we first met, it was the first thing that had attracted me to him. And now, here we were almost two years later, getting married. A picture of Mom and Dad stood on a small table near the ceremony. It had been my idea to have it there. Now they wouldn't be absent at the wedding.

Tony gave me a small peck on the cheek as he gave me away, his bright eyes saying infinitely more than he could ever hope, before he left and joined Pepper on the front row. As the vows started, all I could see was Steve. It almost startled me when Steve took my hand and placed the wedding band on my finger. And almost even more of a reality shock was when the minister pronounced us husband and wife. But the kiss, yes, that was one that I would remember forever.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Steve Rogers."

The next thing we knew, we were in the middle of the reception. It was time for the traditional wedding dance and Steve was nervous.

"I'm still not the greatest dancer." He whispered to me as we started.

"I don't care. I married a super-soldier, not a dancer." He chuckled.

"And I married the most beautiful woman there is." I blushed as he kissed me lightly on the lips.

We were about halfway through the song when I heard a voice not far off.

"Tony, I think my water broke."

"You had to choose December." I said to Steve in a half serious, half joking manner.

"Tony Jr.'s on the way!" Tony announced in pure delight to the crowd of guests.

"So much for the honeymoon." I said as we followed them out of the reception hall. Imagine cramming all of the Avengers and their partners, several of them pregnant, into the honeymoon getaway car that was now decorated with tin cans (Tony, of course), NERF arrows duct-taped to the car (Thanks a lot, Clint), and the words: 'Newlywed Midgardians' on the back windshield (We'd really have to teach Thor about what to write on cars at Earth weddings) and driving to a hospital. Yes, tonight was going to be a real joyride.

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**Truly loving writing this story right now! Who's ready for a baby Tony? Do you think the world is ready for that?  
**


	30. Chapter 30

**And now I present to you the first to come of the Avenger babies! And who would have thought that Tony would be first, of all people! I do NOT own the book _Love You_**_** Forever**. _**Robert N. Munsch does. Or the Avengers. Just sayin'.****  
**

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**Chapter Thirty**

Pepper had been in the delivery room for several hours. Tony had come out a few times updating us on her status. The last time he had come out, they were preparing for delivery. Everyone else was sitting outside, in our wedding garb,no less. We were attracting quite a bit of attention, but we quickly learned to ignore it.

"I hope she's alright in there." I told Steve worriedly. He placed his hand gently on mine.

"She's going to be fine." He reassured me. How could he be so certain? Things went wrong in delivery all the time.

"A wife and a niece, all in one day. I'm pretty sure that's a record." I said, trying to keep my mind off the terrible thoughts that rattled me so.

"A husband and an uncle. We're two for two here."

"Touché."

"I have to say though, this tux is quite bothersome." He said as he looked at his attire.

"Try wearing a wedding dress."

"Or being pregnant and wearing a dress." Natasha cut in.

"Now that sounds a lot worse." I replied and we all erupted into laughter. But our sounds of joy were quickly interrupted by a very excited Tony, whose footfalls we could hear far down the hallway.

"What is it?" I asked. "What's happened?"

"IT'S A GIRL!" He yelled and we all jumped up in excitement.

"A girl? I thought we were having a Tony Jr." Clint said, a small smirk on his face.

"Not today." No one could wipe the grin off Tony's face and he shifted his gaze to me. "Come on. You have to see your niece." Steve was quick on our heels as we scrambled into the delivery room. Sure enough, there was a very tired looking Pepper holding a bundle wrapped in a pink blanket in her arms.

"A girl." She told us with a small smile. I came closer and she handed her to me. She had small traces of red hair, just like her mother. But her father, I could only imagine that she would have his eyes.

"She's beautiful." I said quietly as I looked at her rosy red cheeks.

"Any names?" Steve asked the new parents.

"I only had Tony Jr. picked out." Tony said and Pepper rolled her eyes. As if she would have let that name pass anyways.

"I was thinking Maria, after your mother." Pepper said to Tony and I. We both looked at each other and then at Pepper.

"Pepper, you don't have..." Pepper cut Tony off.

"It'll be like having her around." She explained. "A good memory of her." Tony smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"You're the best, Pep."

"I know." She said. "Maria Rose Stark. I like that middle name, don't you?" She asked us.

"I love it." Tony said as he sat beside her. I handed baby Maria over to Steve. I had never once seen him hold a baby before, but I could tell he felt a little awkward.

"Prop her head on your arm." I instructed. When he did so, I could tell he felt more at ease. He was so big compared to her tiny form.

"Just think Cap, in nine months, you could be holding one of your own." We all glared at him.

"Shut up." I said sternly.

"I'm just saying..." He said mischievously.

"I hope you have twins next time." He frowned, but everyone else sure got a kick out of it.

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**Later that night...**

It was about five the next morning and I was wide awake. Tony had fallen asleep in a chair, although he was leaning over on Pepper's hospital bed fast asleep next to her, who was also getting some much needed rest herself. Steve, well, he was drooling in a chair next to me. I had taken several pictures and sent them to the team, who got a nice laugh out of it. Baby Maria was in a crib next to Pepper and was starting to fuss.

"Baby girl." I said softly as I took my niece gently in my arms. She quickly settled into my embrace as I rocked her back and forth.

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

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**And you all thought it was a boy! Boy, did I have you fooled! Get it? Total pun! lol I'm a nerd at heart, people! :) Be sure to tell me what you all though about this chapter! Thank you all for reading!**


	31. Chapter 31

**I must come to you today with both good and bad news. Always being the optimist, I want to start with the bad first and leave you with good news. First, this is the final chapter of this story. It is very sad for me as it is for all of you, I'm sure. But on a good note, this is going to be a great ending, I can assure you. So, good news there! This is bittersweet for me because it's over, but it was great fun reading all of your reviews and how much you loved this story. I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story and for all those of you who reviewed. Thank you all so much. Now for the last chapter. Enjoy! And, if you would, for old time's sake, please review! :)****  
**

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**Chapter Thirty-One**

It had been over two years since baby Maria was born. She was now a red-headed, brown eyed, feisty little girl. And she loved her auntie Abbey and uncle Stevie. Yes. That's right, Stevie.

"Uncle Stevie!" Baby Maria shouted as she ran as fast as her little legs could go. Steve picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulders.

"Is it time to play airplane?" He asked and she grinned.

"Aeroplane." She said. She squealed in delight as he took her in his arms and soared her through the air as high as his arms could reach.

"Careful!" Pepper said, although they had done this at least a million times.

"There's my little stinker." Tony said, holding a pair of toddler clothes in his hands as he saw both niece and uncle playing in the distance. "She ran off in her pajamas before I could even pick out her clothes."

"Not unusual." I said as I carried in a small two month old baby boy.

"How's baby Jacob?" Pepper asked as she sat down beside me and took the infant in her arms. His full name was Jacob Steven Rogers and he had blonde hair like his father, his eyes a beautiful blue.

"Fussy. He wakes us up every few hours." I replied wearily. I was really hoping he would settle down for a full night's sleep soon.

"Typical little one." Pepper said. "But I hope our second isn't going to be so bad." That's right. They were having a second child. But this time, Tony made her tell us what it was going to be. And yes, it was a boy. But we refused to call him Tony Jr.

"Andrew Howard Stark." I said. "Keeping with all the 'A' names in the Stark family, aren't you?"

"Tradition we can't break, I suppose." She joked. She would be due sometime in June.

"There's my little nephew." Tony said softly as he took the youngster in his arms. He absolutely adored Jacob, much like Steve loved little Maria.

"Auntie Abbey!" But the voices I heard was not Maria's voice at all.. Instead, it was the voices of the most mischievous twins I knew; Bernard (we called him Barney) and Hannah Barton. And yes, they called me their auntie too.

"Hanny (That's the nickname we have for her), Barney!" I said as the two jumped me. Barney looked just like his father to say the least. And he acted like him too. I learned never to hand him a NERF arrow set. And Natasha would never give him one as long as she could help it. And Hanny had the same fiery red hair as her mother, but she was definitely a talker.

"Guess what I did, guess what I did!" Barney shouted excitedly at the top of his lungs.

"What, Barney?" I asked curiously. Knowing this toddler, it ought to be interesting.

"I flushed Daddy's watch down the toilet!" He exclaimed in triumph. Clint and Natasha, who had come in right behind them, grew wide-eyed.

"What?!" Clint exclaimed.

"Aren't you proud, Daddy?" Barney said happily and Clint quickly swallowed whatever words he had for his son.

"Nat, I think I'll let you talk to him about this one." Natasha didn't look thrilled.

But before we could get any farther, Bruce and Betty came in. They were the last of us to get married, not very long after our wedding. They had wasted no time in starting a family, with little Brent Banner being born nine months after their marriage. He was a dark-haired, quiet, little boy, but he was a sweetheart nonetheless.

"How's baby Brent?" I said to the one year old. He gave me a small smile, but clung to his mother tightly.

"Still a little shy," Bruce told us, "but he's getting better."

"Soon he'll be rampaging around like the Hulk." Tony joked, but Bruce gave him a reprimanding glare.

"He only turns a little green when he gets fussy. He will NOT be a Hulk." It was true. He did get a little green when upset, but other than that, he was nothing like the Hulk.

"And where's Thor?" Clint asked. "I thought we were all having dinner."

"He should be here any..." Tony was cut off by a loud crash in the window.

"Smash, smash!" A little boy cried as his father and mother landed on the floor of the Tower. He had a small, plastic hammer in his hand and blonde hair down to his ears.

"Not again." Tony groaned.

"Sorry." Thor said as he set the little boy down and he ran off to join Maria and the others, who were now playing with some blocks.

"Asher decided we should use the window instead of the door." Jane said. "We didn't have time to react."

"It's alright." Pepper said calmly. "It's not like this hasn't happened before."

"I'll say." Tony said and I shot him a glare. He shut up quickly.

"Well, now that the gang's all here, let's eat!" Clint said. "But one question...what are we having?"

"Schwarma!" Tony shouted, which was followed by a quick no.

As the group verbally battled over the location of their next meal, I held baby Jacob in my arms and watched the little 'Avengelets' as I called them, play. I was suddenly struck with the realization of how far I'd come in the past few years. From a lonely orphan, to the sister of Tony Stark, to a friend of the Avengers, to marrying one of them, to being a wife and mother, my life had taken quite a turn. And you know what? It was the best thing that ever happened to me. This is the story about how we all became a family.

**The End**

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***sniffles* A happy ending for all! And the word 'Avengelets' comes straight from one of our own readers, Ophelia Lokisdottir! Thanks for the inspiration! I hope you all loved reading this story as much as I did writing it! Have a good rest of the summer! And, as always, please review! :)  
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